Difficult
problem
The
following problem was for a long period considered insolvable:
Sham S.
Misri
A
contractor orders two men to dig a 100 foot ditch. Each digger is to receive
$50.
One end
of the ditch is hard ground for which the contractor pays the rate of $1.25 a
foot. The other end is soft ground for which the contractor pays @ 75 cents a
foot.
How many
feet must each dig to get exactly $50?
Solution:
Each man digs 25 feet at $ 1.25 =
$31.25
-do- Digs 25 feet @ 0.75
= $18.75
___________________________________________
Total for each = $ 50.0
