Mathematical Puzzle.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7895, 12 April 1897, Page 3

Mathematical Puzzle.

A correspondent writes to the Otago Daily Times : — Sir, — A silly friend of mine— a bit of a crank — asked me to write down a sum of money less than £12, the pounds, shillings, and pence being unequal. So I set down „ £10 !) 3 Then the crank aaid " Transpose these figuresjand bring down the difference " .... 3 910 £6 19 5 and then he said, "TraDßpose again and add 5 19 6 £12 18 11 At this poinb the crank's face wore an exulting leer, and he said " Ha ! I knew it." Now there is nothing in the operation showing any wonderful result, for there must be some result, And I told him so ; but he leered so horribly that I was inclined to bash his head with a book. But I didn't, for he is a big man, and his beastly size generated in me a spirit of meekness, as, indeed, a biguer man always does. So when he said "Do it again," I simply replied, "Do it yourself." When he left, however, I did do it again, and the oftener I did tt the oftener I said, "Confound that fellow's leer ! I might have got him to explain.' 1 In a few words the wretch had left me with a problem on my brain, and I have covered sheets of paper with figures till I am in despair. Will you, sir, who know everything, relieve the pressure on my brain by checking my figures and letting mo know that I am not mad. I thought of writing to tha " Hen Parliament," but I could not clearly show that it resulted I from man's injustice to woman, ao they might throw cut the Bill. Here are some of my figures — £11 5 6 £3 8 7 £10 4 8 6 5 11 7 S 3 8 4 JO £4 19 7 £3 19 8 £1 19 10 7 19 4 8 19 3 10 19 1 £12 18 11 £12 18 11 £12 18 11 £514 11 £6 8 5 £1 3" 8 11 14 5 5 8 6 8 3 1 £5 19 6 £ 0 19 11 £6 19 5 6 19 5 11 ID 0 5 19 6 £12 18 11 £12 18 11 £12 18 11 That persistent £12 18s lid has got into a aorner of my brain and I can't get it out.