Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Problem of the Week #18


Smith, Robinson, and Jones are a conductor, a porter, and an engineer on a certain train. Also aboard the train are three passengers with the same last names: Mr. Smith, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Jones.

Mr. Robinson lives in Detroit.

The porter lives exactly halfway between Chicago and Detroit.

Mr. Jones earns exactly $50,000 per year.

The porter’s nearest neighbor, who is one of the three passengers, earns exactly three times as much as the porter.

Smith usually beats the conductor at tennis.

The passenger whose last name is the same as the porter’s lives in Chicago.

Who is the engineer?

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #16


The following information was obtained by studying the orders of the people who dined in a certain restaurant one evening.

50 people ordered soup.

65 people ordered dessert.

20 people ordered soup and dessert.

15 people ordered salad and soup.

30 people ordered salad and dessert.

8 people ordered salad, soup, and dessert.

12 people ordered neither salad, soup, nor dessert.

How many people ordered salad and dessert but not soup?

How many people were there in all?