Posts filed under ‘50 dinars’
Going to Market
A shopkeeper has lent 50 dinars to a sheik, and another 50 to a merchant. The sheik paid the debt in four installments of 20, 15, 10, and 5 dinars:
| Installment | Paid | Still Owed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 30 | |
| 2 | 15 | 15 | |
| 3 | 10 | 5 | |
| 4 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | Total | 50 |
The merchant paid the debt in four installments of 20, 18, 3, and 9 dinars:
| Installment | Paid | Still Owed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 30 | |
| 2 | 18 | 12 | |
| 3 | 3 | 9 | |
| 4 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | Total | 51 |
How to explain the difference of 1 dinar?
Mathematical excerpts from The Man Who Counted by Malba Tahan
