Mr. P made the following statement:
I will turn x + 34 years old in the year x2.
How old will Mr. P be on his birthday this year?
Solution to the Problem:
Mr. P will turn 66 this year (in 2012).Examining a table of squares, you will find:
| x | x2 |
|---|---|
| 44 | 1936 |
| 45 | 2025 |
| 46 | 2116 |
The only year that makes sense in this problem is 2025.
So, x = 45 and x2 = 2025.
That means Mr. P will turn x + 34 = 79 in the year 2025.
So, in 2012, he will turn 66.
P.S. It's still not too late to buy him a present!! Or just send money!!
By the way, I got the idea for this problem from a quote by Augustus De Morgan when asked about his age.
He said, "I was x years old in the year x2."
Augustus De Morgan (27 June 1806 - 18 March 1871) was a British mathematician and logician who developed DeMorgan's Laws.
Since he was born in 1806, he was 43 years old in 1869 (which is 432).
Correctly solved by:
| 1. Chad Fore | Gate City, Virginia |
| 2. James Alarie | Flint, Michigan | 3. Arian Toomer |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |
| 4. Mike Bova | Wallingford Connecticut |
| 5. Alp Aribal | Istanbul, Turkey | 6. Jessie Schuttemeier |
Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming |