The Riddler

[Karathyriel]

So I thought I'd start a little something myself.
As I do like to solve puzzles and riddles, I think we can get some of that in here as well.
Hope you like it!

Three orcs were traveling across Kalimdor and spent one night in the beautiful Inn in Orgrimmar. The Innkeeper took 10 silver from each of them for the accomodation. The next morning, they all packed up their stuff and left the Inn to go shopping before leaving Orgrimmar.
The Innkeeper thought, that those three orcs were very nice guests and they told stories in the common room, so he wanted to do them a favor. He called his troll assistant, gave him 5 silver and sent him after the three orcs to give the money back to them.
While looking for them, the troll got thirsty and thought "5 silvas for da three orcs, dat does not divide even, mon. Betta keep meself two silvas and hand 'em three." When he found the orcs, he did just that. He gave each of them 1 silver and kept two for himself. He was thirsty, wasn't he?

So, now we have a problem. Each of the three orcs paid 10 silver in the first place. 3 x 10 = 30

The troll handed them 1 silver, so they only paid 9 silver each. 3 x 9 = 27
The troll kept 2 silver for some ale. 27 + 2 = 29

Why is there one piece of silver missing now?

[GethlarNomudac]

the inkeeper has it??

[Azunara]

Uhm...30 can't be divided by four equally? The last bit is hiding somewhere?

[Saturo]

The troll got hungry, so he ate it.

[Vephriel]

Blargh, this hurts my brain...I was never much of a math student.

I mean, looking at it from one way it makes sense. The Innkeeper receives 30s, he gives 5s away so that leaves him with 25s. The Troll keeps 2s and gives the orcs 3s.

So Innkeeper = 25s
Troll = 2s
Orcs = 3s

That equals 30. I just don't see how it's getting all mixed up by doing it the other way. It must be some trick or error in dividing, but I can't see it. xD It feels like it's right there at the front of my mind, but I can't focus on it long enough.

[Nikrosnil]

3 x 10 = 30 (the amount the orcs paid for their stay)

30 - 5 = 25 (the amount the innkeeper kept of what they paid)

25 + 2 = 27 (the troll has kept 2 silver, leaving 3 silver)

There is no missing silver.

You made a mistake by adding 2 to 27, the 2 silver spent by the troll is included in the amount of 27 silver spent by the orcs, and 3 silver is left over to share between them. This isn't really a riddle, merely worded to confuse the reader. ^^

Don't tell me I'm wrong, my major is math. xD

[Mania]

The math at the end is misleading.

We know where all of the 30 silver is: 25s is with the innkeeper (30s - 5s); 3s of the 30s has gone back to the orcs; and the troll has the remaining 2s.

The way you are stating the problem, the orcs paid 27s of which the innkeeper has 25s and the troll has 2s -- and there is no more '30s'.

In other words, you should be subtracting that 2 at the end instead of adding it, and getting the 25s that the innkeeper has.

[edit] Nikkrosnil beat me. I would call this a riddle, though, and I rather enjoyed it. (And it's always good to meet another math major. I specialized in abstract algebras -- how about you?)

[Nikrosnil]

Heheh, Only by a couple of minutes Mania! I enjoyed it as well, and I suppose riddles are a play on words, so this is in fact a riddle. Oh really? It's great to meet others who find math as fascinating as I do. I chose applied math, myself.

[Mania]

Uck -- applied! Err .. I mean .. that's great!

I have a thing for moving symbols around on paper without any intrusion by reality. I eventually ended up in programming for that reason, which is probably where I should have been all along, but my counselor in high school didn't think I was smart enough to deal with those new-fangled computers.

[Nikrosnil]

Hahah, I react in the same way to abstract algebras. xD Don't worry, i'm not offended, I've always been more of a physicist at heart.

I can understand what you mean, and imagine how you feel whilst doing it, I just don't share the same feeling when I do that. I'm very much a visual person, and I love to see the way maths links with everything in the modern world, both practically in the form of engineering and physics, and recreationally, in art and music.

I never had the ability or interest for programming, which I find a slight shame, but you are who you are, right?

[Dulanie]

A bit latebut yeah what the cute goblin girl said

[Nikrosnil]

A bit latebut yeah what the guy who will play a cute goblin girl said

Corrected. ^^

[Dulanie]

lol oops but either way your but looks good in those pants

[Nikrosnil]

Hahah, Why thank you. xD

[Jakkra]

Math confuses me.. but I'd like to say that.. the innkeeper in Orgrimmar is not a man, but a woman!

[Karathyriel]

Yeah, Veph, Mania and Nikkrosnil got it. I just used a wrong way to add it all up.

The orcs paid 9 silver each, making 27 and have 3 silver in their pockets, making 30.
Or like the Innkeeper has 25, the troll has 2 and the orcs 3 silver, which adds, naturally, to 30 coins.

OK, here goes the next riddle:

Two troll were having a break on the side of the road. It was time for lunch, so they rummaged in their backpacks to see what was left to eat and both laughed as they discovered that both had brought Tough Jerky. Krel'jin had 5 pieces in his backpack, Nore'jin only 3. As they sat down, ready to start their meal, another troll came along and, as he saw the food, asked if he could invite himself as his own provisions had run out the day before but he would pay them some coins for the food. Krel'jin said that there was plenty to eat so the third troll was invited to join.
They had to eat all of the Jerky to be satisfied and the food was evenly divided between the three trolls. The third troll, who introduced himself as Darlo'jin, put 8 silver coins on a stone, asked for direction of the next village where he could stock up his provisions, thanked his hosts and went off.
Krel'jin said that they should divide the coins 4 silver for each of them, as they both brought food for their unexpected guest. Nore'jin said, that he should get only 3 coins as he had only 3 pieces of jerky and Krel'jin 5 as he brought 5 pieces of jerky.

Everyone knows that trolls are good at fighting but bad at math, so they are both wrong. What would be the fair and correct share of coins for those two trolls?

[Mania]

Since the food was divided evenly, each troll had 2 and 2/3 pieces.
Nore'jin started with 3 pieces, so he contributed 1/3 piece to Darlo'jin -- or 1/8th of what Darlo'jin ate.
Krel'jin started with 5 pieces, so he contributed 2 and 1/3 pieces to Darlo'jin -- or 7/8th of what Darlo'jin ate.
So to be fair, Nore'jin should get 1 silver and Krel'jin should get 7 silver.

[Nikrosnil]

Hit the nail on the head, Mania.

[Karathyriel]

Damn, studying math is not fair.. Mania is correct.

Let's see...

I met three other hunters. A troll, an orc and a tauren. One has a wolf, one a lion and one a bear. Every one of them uses another weapon, a rifle, a bow and a crossbow. The tauren does not have a lion. The troll was carrying a rifle or a crossbow. The one with the crossbow has the wolf. The bear is not the trolls friend and also not the pet of the one with the bow. Which weapon was the orc carrying?

[Vephriel]

The orc is carrying a bow and has a lion. :3
(Scratchfever ftw! xD)