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Sorry, Murray, right idea but wrong. Puzzle cannot be solved as written. Suppose the father asks for $0? The way the problem is worded, there must be an envelope containing no money! Therefore, I believe it takes eleven envelopes to accomplish. > ---------- > From: Murray Charters[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Reply To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 8:10 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Is anyone on PIE bored? [sparkle] Riddle #8 > > Hi Bonnie, > I think I can answer this even tho' here in Canada the $1.00 paper note > has been replaced with a coin called the "Loonie"... > > On 16 Jan 00 at 15:12, Bonnie Rowley wrote: > > He used a shredder & then wrote IOU's. > > > Nope.... see below... > > > > In a message dated 1/16/00 9:00:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, > > [log in to unmask] writes: > > > > > A man told his son that he would give him $1000 if he could accomplish > the > > > following task. The father gave his son ten envelopes and a thousand > > > dollars, all in one dollar bills. He told his son, "Place the money > in the > > > envelopes in such a manner that no matter what number of dollars I > ask for, > > > you can give me one or more of the envelopes, containing the exact > amount I > > > asked for without having to open any of the envelopes. If you can do > this, > > > you will keep the $1000." > > > > > > When the father asked for a sum of money, the son was able to give > him > > > envelopes containing the exact amount of money asked for. How did the > son > > > distribute the money among the ten envelopes? > > > > > The answer is elementary to anyone who deals in binary numbers since > the 1's (or 0's) for the first ten positions in binary represent ANY > number from zero to 1023 in decimal. (1024 possible combinations...) > > The ten envelopes therefore contained....... > 1.) One dollar > 2.) Two dollars > 3.) Four dollars > 4.) Eight dollars > 5.) Sixteen dollars > 6.) Thirty-two dollars > 7.) Sixty-four dollars > 8.) One hundred and twenty-eight dollars > 9.) Two hundred and fifty-six dollars > 10.) The remaining Four hundred and eighty-nine dollars > > Supposing the father had asked for $800, as an example, the son would > then give him envelopes 10; 9; 6; 5; 3; 2; & 1... > > 489 + 256 + 32 + 16 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 800 > > Do I get to keep da money??????? > > All the best ............ murray > [log in to unmask] >