April 29, 2002
Problem of the Month

The Peculiar Addition Problem
from A Haircut in Horsetown
by Click and Clack

When does 2.1 + 4.2 + 3.0 + 3.2 = 13.2
and 13.2 is the correct answer to this addition problem?

Solution to the Problem:

This is correct when the numbers represent the innings pitched in baseball. In baseball notation, 2.1 represents 2 and one-third innings.

Sorry! I know there will be some upset people. This week's problem is more mathematical!!
But several people sent in some good alternate solutions to last week's problem ... some tried different bases (base three worked on the right-hand side of the decimal point but not on the left); others used various conversion factors (two are mentioned below).

David Stark suggested the following:
2.1 Liters + 4.2 Liters + 3.0 Liters + 3.2 Liters = 13.2 Quarts
Using the conversion factor 1 liter = 1.056688 quarts,
12.5 liters = 12.5 * 1.056688 = 13.2086 quarts! Close enough!

Keith Mealy wrote:
2 drachm + 1 scruple
4 drachm + 2 scruples
3 drachm + 0 scruples
3 drachm + 2 scruples
--------------------
13 drachm + 2 scruples

Correctly solved by:

1. Walt Arrison	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2. Christopher March	Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
3. David Stark	Winchester, Virginia
4. Keith Mealy	Cincinnati, Ohio
5. John Beasley	Winchester, Virginia
6. Daniel Foster	Winchester, Virginia
7. Tony Cahill	Winchester, Virginia
8. Ashleigh Mark	Columbus, Georgia
9. Geoff Keith	Santa Monica, California
10. Drew Chapman	Redondo Beach, California

Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher