Ninth- and tenth-grade students participated in a tournament. Each contestant played each other contestant once. There were ten times as many tenth-grade students, but they were able to win only four-and-a-half times as many points as ninth graders.
How many ninth-grade students participated, and how many points did they collect?
Note: one point for every win.
(In reply to
re: Obvious solution by pcbouhid)
Well, it certainly is "elementary" mathematics, if that is the criterion. Once one decides that the tournament is among individuals, rather than two teams, and given the ratio of 1:10 for ninth to tenth graders, the clear first thought would be to start tries with one ninth-grader -- hence ten tenth-graders -- and the problem is then solved. I should retract my comment that the problem was not well defined, since upon brief reflection there seems no ambiguity. The Russians are probably too busy singing "Sweet Georgia on my Mind" alternating with "Sweet Georgia Brown," to care.
re(2): Obvious solution
