I wish to find three numbers of such nature that the first and the second with \(\frac{1}{2}\) of the third makes 20, and the second and the third with \(\frac{1}{3}\) of the first comes to 20, and the third plus the first and \(\frac{1}{4}\) of the second also equals 20.
Le Triparty en la science des nombres, Nicolas Chuquet, 1484
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The answer is: the numbers are \(7\dfrac{19}{23}\approx 7.826\), \(6\dfrac{22}{23}\approx 6.957\) and \(10\dfrac{10}{23}\approx 10.435\)
"Three Numbers in France," Convergence (July 2006)