There are an equal number of coins of each of the values: $1, $2, $3.

They discover that it is possible to do this in such a way that each brother gets a different assortment of coins, yet each gets the same number of coins and the same total value of coins.

What's the smallest possible number of coins in the set?

Sol:

  36 BUCKS IN 18 COINS............ (1+2+3)*6

Let's  agree that 1+3=2+2, thus expressing 4 by two coins
 in 2 different ways.

if A=1+3   AND  B=2+2

then 

Brother 1 gets         A+A+A=1+1+1+3+3+3 

Brother 2 gets          A+A+B=1+1+2+2+3+3

Brother 3    gets       A+ B+B=1+2+2+2+2+3

End

Edited on February 6, 2013, 8:42 pm

Posted by Ady TZIDON on 2013-02-06 14:45:57