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THREE SAILORS AND A MONKEY
by Bill Graham
Three sailors get shipwrecked on an island where they find a pile of coconuts
and a monkey.
They agree to go to sleep and divide up the coconuts in the morning.
During the night, one sailor wakes up, gives one coconut to the monkey
to keep him quiet, takes exactly 1/3 of the rest, and falls back asleep.
Then the second sailor wakes up and does the same.
Later, the third sailor wakes up and does the same.
In the morning, there are fewer than 10 coconuts left.
They each take exactly 1/3 leaving no more coconuts.
How many coconuts were in the original pile?
Think some more
After you have solved this problem, think about this.
What would happen if it didn't state that
there had to be fewer than 10 coconuts left?
Can you find other solutions?
How many? Do you see a pattern?
Vol 2, No 4
Three sailors get shipwrecked on an island where they find a pile of coconuts
and a monkey.
They agree to go to sleep and divide up the coconuts in the morning.
During the night, one sailor wakes up, gives one coconut to the monkey
to keep him quiet, takes exactly 1/3 of the rest, and falls back asleep.
Then the second sailor wakes up and does the same.
Later, the third sailor wakes up and does the same.
In the morning, there are fewer than 10 coconuts left.
They each take exactly 1/3 leaving no more coconuts.
How many coconuts were in the original pile?
Think some more