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$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
there is no missing dollar

since $100 represents the total principle, or borrowed amount, instead of adding
[owed principle1] + [owed principle2] + [possessed principle] = [borrowed principle]

do this:
[owed principle1] + [owed principle2] + [repaid principle] = [borrowed principle]

IOW, using the phrase in the pic "now you owe" tells us to only consider owed money.

you still owe $49 to mom
you still owe $49 to dad
you no longer owe - or have repaid - $1 to mom
you no longer owe - or have repaid - $1 to dad

the dollar in your pocket is not conceptual, but literal, and has no place on a balance sheet.
 
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$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
perhaps I need another cup of coffee, but I no get.
this is actually a good interview question for nearly any line of work.

can you explain your thinking in terms which can be clearly communicated in writing?

i failed on my first attempt.
i also failed on my second.
 

Ithnu

Monkey
Jul 16, 2007
961
0
Denver
Look at it this way; after he pays them back the $1 he still owes them each $49 correct? So if he returns his $97 shirt and still has $1 he will have the $98 and can pay them back. No money disappeared. They are mixing up what he has and what he owes.

There are so many mix ups with math in this thread I think I'm getting dumber. Check this one out. http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/falseProofs/first1eq2.html

Try it without seeing the answer first. I caught it, here's a hint: don't use the "a" and "b" values just try any number.

*1 is easy enough. You'll catch the error if you literally write out 1^2, 1*1, etc and carry those through to the end while keeping in mind their value.
 
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eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,434
1,695
Central Florida
Misapplied math. The dollars you give back should be removed from the original amounts, not later in the equation.
49 + 49 = 98 dollars.
Shirt was 97 + 1 dollar kept = 98
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
My buddies new S&W M&P15. He picked it up for $639, so of course we had to go shoot it this weekend. Pretty nuts on right out of the box at around 100 yards with the iron sights.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
Drove out to Indio for the day. Took the ladies to Cabazon on the way back. There's a pretty cool, legit place to shoot off Dillon Rd right there.
 

ultraNoob

Yoshinoya Destroyer
Jan 20, 2007
4,504
1
Hills of Paradise
Off of deh FB

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."