This is a variation on a classic number theory problem, originally submitted by Ravi Raja here.

There are n men and k monkeys shipwrecked on an island. The men have collected a pile of coconuts which they plan to divide equally among themselves the next morning. Not trusting the rest of the group, one of the men wakes up during the night and divides the coconuts into n equal parts leaving k left over, which he gives to the monkeys. He then hides his portion of the pile. During the night, each of the other men does exactly the same thing by dividing the pile he finds into n equal parts leaving k coconuts for the monkeys and hiding his portion. In the morning, the men gather and split the remaining pile of coconuts into n parts and k is left over for the monkeys. What is the minimum number of coconuts, C, the men could have collected for their original pile?

(In reply to ok then...correction... by yocko)

From previous post:

C_n = q*n + k, for some integer q. 

This gives the Diophantine equation in q and C_0:

C_0*(n-1)^n - q*n^(n+1) = k*[n^(n+1) - (n-1)^(n+1)].

Which has the following solutions:

C_0 = m*n^(n+1) - k*(n-1) and q = m*(n-1)^n - k,

for any integer m.

Since C_0 will be minimized when C_n is minimized:

C_n = q*n + k = m*n*(n-1)^n - k(n-1).

Therefore,

C_0 = m*n^(n+1) - k*(n-1),

where m is the smallest integer > k/[n*(n-1)^(n-1)].

Posted by Bractals on 2005-05-09 15:24:00