Three coworkers would like to know their average salary. However, they are self-conscious and don't want to tell each other their own salaries, for fear of either being ridiculed or getting their houses robbed. How can they find their average salary, without disclosing their own salaries?

(In reply to One solution (and a simple variation) by Jer)

For extra security, the parts need not both be positive, so the first person, or all persons if all are separating their salaries into two parts, could apply a number larger than his/her salary, or a negative number, the first time around. If limited to positive numbers, one could see the salary was at least the value shown to the second person regarding the first.

Posted by Charlie on 2013-04-01 11:42:39