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Buying Wood
Three people buy timber together. One pays the merchant 5 coins, another 3 coins, and the last 2 coins. It is found that in the transactions 4 coins are left over. They wish to divide these proportionally among themselves. How many coins should each person receive?
Suan shu shu (Writings on Reckoning), c. 180 BCE
Click here to reveal the answer
The answer is: The one who paid 5 should get 2 back, the one who paid 3 should get \(1\dfrac{1}{5}\) back, and the one who paid 2 should get \(\dfrac{4}{5}\) back
"Buying Wood," Convergence (March 2007)
