Unraveling the Math Puzzle: How Many Pages in the Book?
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Chapter 1: The Puzzle Unveiled
Math can be a captivating subject, or is it merely a matter of perspective? While that might be a philosophical inquiry, we’re here to tackle a math puzzle today. Given that I have 62 pages remaining in my book, how many pages does it contain in total?
I encourage you to pause here, grab some paper and a pen, and give it a try. Once you feel prepared, continue reading for the solution!
Solution
To solve this puzzle, we need to peel back the layers, much like an onion, starting from the innermost layer, which is the third day of reading.
3rd Day On this day, I read one-third of the remaining pages plus 18 additional pages, leaving me with 62 pages left to read.
The complementary statement to this is:
By doing a bit of math, we can conclude that: (3/2) × 80 = 120 pages were left at the end of the second day.
2nd Day Now, let’s apply the same reasoning for the second day. I read one-fourth of the remaining pages and an additional 15 pages.
This leads us to:
Once more, by performing calculations, we find: (4/3) × 135 = 180 pages were left at the end of the first day.
1st Day We’ll repeat this process for the first day of reading. On this day, I read one-fifth of the total pages plus 12 additional pages.
This equates to:
Thus, through mathematics, we determine the total number of pages in the book to be: (5/4) × 192 = 240 pages.
And there you have it!
Chapter 2: The Aesthetic of Mathematics
So, is mathematics truly beautiful? Personally, I find it possesses a unique elegance that surpasses conventional beauty. What are your thoughts? How intriguing!
What was your thought process for solving this puzzle? Feel free to share your insights in the comments; I’m eager to hear from you!
Explore More Math Puzzles
Discover a collection of engaging math puzzles on Medium, covering topics such as Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and Number Theory. Share these with your friends and challenge them!
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Happy Solving, Bella!