While walking in a park, one morning, I found a Hundred Rupee note on one of the park benches. I picked it up, noted the number and took it home.

In the afternoon the plumber called on me to collect his bill. As I had no other moey at home, I settled his account with the Hundred Rupee note that I had found.

Later I came to know that the plumber paid the note to his milkman to settle his monthly account , who paid it to his tailor for the garments he had made.

The tailor in turn used the money to buy an old sewing machine, from a woman who lives in my neighbourhood. This woman incidentally, had borrowed Hundred Rupees from me sometime back to buy some household appliance. She, remembering that she owed me a Hundred Rupees, came and paid the debt.

I recognized the note as the one that I had found on the park bench, and on careful examination, I discovered that the note was counterfeit.

How much was lost in the whole transaction and by whom ?

(In reply to re(3): Possible Solution by Ravi Raja)

OK so you believe that my logic is flawed. Let me ask you all a question, do you believe that me finding the 100 Rupees note is a transaction? I think not since a transaction is the exchange of money for good or services. So the "whole transaction" should not include the 100 Rupees "I" found and therefore should be factored out, once you have done that you will get to my conclution. But if you believe that me finding the money is part of the transaction then we should consider also the person who lost the money originally. And unless he is the person who created the counterfeit money, he is the one who lost.

Posted by Jonny Doe on 2003-03-21 07:46:39