I came across this really cool puzzle (I was sure there was no way of solving because there are too many unknown variables, till I finally saw the mistake I made). So I thought maybe we could start a forum game similar to "Draw and Guess the Game" or "Guess what I'm Playing - forum game", but with puzzles instead.

Rules: Solve the puzzle. First to solve gets to post his/her own puzzle. Not necessarily strictly maths, could be just a logical puzzle or IT, or anything related, but nothing too huge (so nothing like that fellow who writes brainfuck programs). And ideally google-proof ;), though I trust players to try and solve it themselves.

Here is mine:

A merchant bought a certain number of camels and a certain number of pairs of donkeys. The number of pairs of donkeys was equal to half the number of camels (so the number of donkeys was equal to the number of camels, duh). The price he paid for each camel was 2 gold pieces, and for each donkey 1 GP. He then proceeded to sell them for a 10% gain (each camel for 2.2 GP pieces and each donkey for 1.1GP)

One day he noticed that he's got only 7 animals left, and the amount he got from the sale so far was exactly same as the amount he spent on all animals: his net gain then would be the amount he'd sell those remaining animals for. How much was his net gain?

i have "managed" to narrow down the unknown factors to 2. But i've not been able to find two different equations to build those 2. I have only one equation (with an x and an y) that has to do with the relation that is presented to us for the prices...

I'm giving a +1 to anyone who even tries to solve this. XD I don't care how off you are you have guts and brains that I envy.

ok so i've set

x = the number of camels (therefore also the number of donkeys)
and
y = the number of camels left after he sold all but 7 of his pets.
therefore the number of donkeys left would be (7 - y)

sO the equation i have is

x * 1 + x * 2 = (x - y) * 2.2 + [x - (7 - y)] * 1.1

And i can't find a second equation for my y. or x...

13.2 GP.
Nice.

how did you find this may i ask?

There are only 8 possibilities how the 7 animals that he has left can be put together. All you have to do is calculate the number of total animals for each of these 8 possibilities and then take the one solution where you get whole numbers (whole animals).

This would normally be my kind of thread, but I'm terrible at math. My puzzles all use lateral thinking instead.
I sure hope nobody tries to use these in my upcoming game...

I had 6 beers, and have 4 in the fridge, how close am I to solving this :o)

aaah fucking possibilities eh?
Thought you could just build an equation (or a system of equations) and just solve it.... Aaah crap!

Thanks for the thorough answer though!

Goodnight Goglodytes /bow

ಠ_ಠ
There's enough data to solve the equation without resorting to such uncivilized methods.

When you've done the math, you should get this:
6 * x = 11 * (a + 7)
for x in N, a in 0..7, M = 0.6 * x

or
6 * y = a + 1,
y in N+0, a in 0..7, M = 0.6*11*(y+1)

Then you try 1 and it fits, while 2 and greater obviously don't.

Starmaker is not being completely honest.

That movie "Rainman"? That's based on her. :D

I'm actually amazed she is in here right now what with 'The People's Court' currently airing.

Seven dwarves have a keg with 12 pints of beer. They pour it into their 7 tankards, only to notice it hasn't been shared equally. Thus, in the interest of fairness, one dwarf rises and shares the beer out of his tankard equally between the other six. Then his neighbor does the same (again between the other 6 dwarves), etc, etc. After the 7th dwarf has shared the contents of his tankard, it turns out everyone has as much beer as he had initially.

How much beer does each of the 7 dwarves have?

Exactly as much as they started with. 1.7...something.

Edit: Incorrect. I read too hastily.

1.7 something for most of them, with the last guy having around 1.8? You did say it's as much as they had initially, so technically, that should be the only puzzle, yes?