Topic: A math riddle emailed to me

[sangyo soichiro]

Apparently this is going around the internet.  I got this email from my Mother.  There's an Excel spreadsheet attached, but it's password protected.  The password is the answer to the riddle.  If you solve the riddle, you can "sign" the spreadsheet and email it on to others.  Kind of cute, but I didn't sign it.  So far, there are 301 names on the spreadsheet I got.  

So I had a thought... why not let you all in on the heaps of fun.  

If you want to prove that you've solved it, but don't want to spoil the fun for everyone else by blurting out the answer, simply state the name of the person next on the list in the spreadsheet.  For example, the first person on the list of people that signed it, is "Shahzaib Khan".  Now the next one to solve it can name the second person on the list, and so on.

This is the email as it was sent to me:

Subject: Math Problem


Put on your thinking caps and enjoy.
If you get in look how far around the world it’s been
 

Look at the math below:  (you'll need the answer to open the attachment)
They say only people with an IQ of 120 and over are able to figure this out.
 
If:
2 + 3 = 10
7 + 2 = 63
6 + 5 = 66
8 + 4 = 96
Then:
9 + 7 = ?


Sign your name, save it and then if you want, you can forward to any more smart people you know.

I attached the spreadsheet that came with the email.  The only way I could get it to attach was to change the extension to .txt.  Hopefully it still asks for the password (which is the answer to the riddle).  I have no idea if this will work.  Bear with me while I make sure it attaches properly, after all, if it doesn't attach, it kind of ruins the plan here....

EDIT:  Looks like the attachment doesn't work.  You can try to change the extension to .xls.  I wonder why I can't just attach the original .xls file... the forum won't let me...
Oh well.

EDIT2:  I removed the attachment.  It didn't work, and who knows if it had some bad juju in it or not.

What can I say, it's winter where I live.  

[kslrr]

I solved it in about 2 seconds but the attatchment opens as text.

[flybox1]

I solved it in about 2 seconds but the attatchment opens as text.

...ya beat me by 8 seconds!
 

[sangyo soichiro]

Yeah, I can't seem to get the attachment to work.  If I try to attach the original .xls file, the forum says that I'm not allowed to attach that format.  So I tried changing it to .txt (which allows me to attach it), but then it doesn't open properly. 

What happens if you change the extension to .xls?  I'm curious, give that a try and let me know what happens.  When I do it, it asks for the password, but then when I enter it and click "ok," I can't see the spreadsheet.  Not sure what's going on....



At least you guys are having fun so far.   

I guess the real riddle is to get the spreadsheet to work properly.   

[750goes]

simple math - but as you say the attachment is crap
I just renamed the attachment as an xls file but it is corrupt... cannot open it

[kirkn]

OK, I give up.  I guess I'm not over 120 in the IQ dep't.

What is the correct answer and how do you arrive at it?


*edit*  nevermind.  I see the math involved to get the next answer in the sequence, I guess I was overthinking it.  It's the wording of the IF/THEN that threw me.   

[Damfino]

And the answer is!

144!!


Not like I was ruining anyone's fun, kinda hard to prove you know the answer unless you're able to open the actual spreadsheet and verify the names.  

[Inigo Montoya]

Yeah pretty simple. too bad the atch does not work.

Edit: You weren't supposed to blurt!

[Damfino]

I wanted to add that I don't believe the claims of having an I.Q. of over 120 is needed to solve the problem. I was a straight 'F' student in math in highschool.

[SD750F]

The way to solve if to find the common additional formula to make the problem work.

It started with:
  If:
  2 + 3 = 10
  7 + 2 = 63
  6 + 5 = 66
  8 + 4 = 96
  Then:
  9 + 7 = ?

The only way to make it work with the examples is to find the commonality for all four examples. And that is to add a second multiply step using the first number:

  (2 + 3)*2 = 10
  (7 + 2)*7 = 63
  (6 + 5)*6 = 66
  (8 + 4)*8 = 96
  Then:
  (9 + 7)*9 = 144

[Johnie]

You guys are good. I gave it to my son who is working on his Masters in physics and he had it done in no time. Smart aleck kid!!! I could not open the attachment either.

[sangyo soichiro]

Okay, does anyone know why we cannot attach .xls files in this forum?  I think there's a glitch somewhere in the system that won't allow us to attach them.  That's why I tried to make it a .txt - only so I could attach it.  Sorry it didn't work.

Also, sorry the riddle was too easy.  I can post a more difficult one if you folks like. 

[Damfino]

Also, sorry the riddle was too easy.  I can post a more difficult one if you folks like. 

Apologizing is a sign of weakness...........and poor math skills!!

[mlinder]

because .xls files can contain scripts. Scripts can install malware. Getting malware from your favourite forum would suck.

[sangyo soichiro]

because .xls files can contain scripts. Scripts can install malware. Getting malware from your favourite forum would suck.

Thanks mlinder.  Yes, that would suck.  I hope I didn't get malware from solving that stupid thing...  Guess the joke would be on me then....

[mystic_1]

As a matter of good computer hygine, one should NEVER, EVER open an unsolicited XLS, DOC, PPT, or any other microsoft document that you are not getting from a trusted source.

Opening a Microsoft document that's being mass-chain-emailed is just ASKING for malware, Even if you think your antivirus, antispyware, etc is up to snuff.

"Remember, best block, no be there."
- Mr Miyagi

mystic_1

[sangyo soichiro]

I removed the attachment just in case.  I think it was okay, but it didn't work anyway.

[mlinder]

OK, how about this stupid one:

Three men rent a hotel room. Each pays $10 for a total of $30 spent on the room. The next day the hotel owner tells the three men that they over paid for the room as it only costs $25. The three men tell the owner to give them each a dollar back and he can keep two dollars.

If you do the math, each man paid $9 a piece for the room for a total of $27. The owner kept $2 which brings the total to $29.

The question is where did the other dollar go?

Not actually a math problem. A semantics problem.

[Damfino]

So the room cost's $25.00, the owner gets a $2.00 tip, and each man recieve's $1.00 back.

$25.00 + $2.00 + $3.00 = $30.00

The problem starts here:

If you do the math, each man paid $9 a piece for the room for a total of $27. The owner kept $2 which brings the total to $29.

The $2.00 the owner kept is already included in the $27.00 total leaving the $3.00 refund to round it out to $30.00. It's all in the way it's worded.

[mlinder]

Yep. You ruined for everyone else though, schmthaus

[Damfino]

Yep. You ruined for everyone else though, schmthaus

  But I thought we were supposed to solve it?

[Lenny55]

As a matter of good computer hygine, one should NEVER, EVER open an unsolicited XLS, DOC, PPT, or any other microsoft document that you are not getting from a trusted source.

Opening a Microsoft document that's being mass-chain-emailed is just ASKING for malware, Even if you think your antivirus, antispyware, etc is up to snuff.

"Remember, best block, no be there."
- Mr Miyagi

mystic_1

Ha ha, I quoted Mr. Miyagi today too.

[Markcb750]

Boooo oo gusss


Although easily "solved" the equations do not follow any accepted mathematical format... so how can it be anything but an obfuscated word problem?

[rbtconsultants]

before I read rest of thread - spoiler alert











































144 (add 2 numbers together, multiply the result by first number) [/spoiler]