From the year c. 850 the book
Ganita-Sara-Sangraha contains the following:
Three merchants saw in the road a purse. One said, "If I secure this purse, I shall become twice as rich as both of you together."
Then the second said, "I shall become three times as rich."
Then the third said, "I shall become five times as rich."
What is the value of the money in the purse, as also the money on hand?
There are an infinite number of solutions. Find the smallest whole number amounts the merchants could have.
(In reply to
re(2): Simple Solution, simple-yes ... correct-Yes by Brian Smith)
My (and Steve's) understanding of the text:
Three merchants saw in the road a purse. One said, "If I secure this purse, I shall become twice as rich as both of you together."Then the second said, "I shall become three times as rich as both of you togetherThen the third said, "I shall become five times as rich as both of you together"
Jer, can you provide a link to the source, and/or to the original solution.
"Begging to differ" is due to the way the 2 statements, following the 1st are interpreted.
re(3): Simple Solution, simple-yes ... correct-Yes
