Lengthy Relationship Puzzle - Solution
The Puzzle:
Our Solution:
x is 1
The sides of the triangle are 3, 5, 8.
Since 3 + 5 = 8, this triangle is "degenerate", i.e., it collapses into a straight line.
About 10% of the people catch this and conclude that x must be 0. But that's the wrong answer!
The right answer is that x=1, so the left most triangle is a degenerate 1, 4, 5 triangle, and the right most triangle is a degenerate 1, 3, 4 triangle.
(Nearly everyone gets this puzzle wrong!)
Submitted by Dave Grossman
The sides of the triangle are 3, 5, 8.
Since 3 + 5 = 8, this triangle is "degenerate", i.e., it collapses into a straight line.
About 10% of the people catch this and conclude that x must be 0. But that's the wrong answer!
The right answer is that x=1, so the left most triangle is a degenerate 1, 4, 5 triangle, and the right most triangle is a degenerate 1, 3, 4 triangle.
(Nearly everyone gets this puzzle wrong!)
Submitted by Dave Grossman