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Old 07-26-2005, 03:13 AM
sirio11 sirio11 is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: El Paso, TX
Posts: 11
Default Solution

First, suppose a person Z sees numbers X and Y where Y > X

Then Z has 2 options X+Y and Y-X

The only way to Z to do not know is if X,Y,Y-X and X+Y are different.

X,Y,X+Y are clearly different and Y>Y-X, so the only possibility to be equal is Y-X = X this is Y = 2X

So, if Y=2X Z knows and if Y is different from 2X
Z does not know.

Since A and B do not know then C knows that his number is different from 2A,2B,(1/2)A,(1/2)B

The 2 options for C are A+B and B-A (wlog B>A)

Since C can find his number, then 1 of these options should be equal to 2A,2B,(1/2)A,(1/2)B.

It's easy to check that A+B cannot be equal to any of these options. So, B-A should be equal to 1 of these.

2B=B-A # since 2B>B-A

(1/2)B=B-A implies A = (3/2)B # since B>A

2A=B-A implies B=3A

but since C=A+B=50 then 4A=50 # since A is an integer

so the only option left is (1/2)A=B-A

then B = (3/2)A

Now C=A+B=50 therefore (5/2)A=50 and A=20

then B = (3/2)20 = 30

and the solution is unique.
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