Although an answer has been provided to the Melissa puzzle, I believe the
following solution method may add new light on to how to solve the problem
for easy understanding.

Cost of room to each person    = $25/3  = $8.33 (2 decimal places)
Tip by each person to bell boy  = $2/3   = $0.67 (2 decimal places)
Room payment by each          +        = $9.00
Refund to each person                         = $1.00

Total spend by each person      +      = $10.00

Merry X-mas to all.

Aniekan Ebiefung.

At 04:54 PM 12/12/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Well it's nice to know so many other people want to know the answer too so
>the first 3 answers I got were as follows:
>
>"You can't look at it that way....you have to figure in the $2 the bellboy
>kept for the tip. Its one of those silly mind puzzles that doesn't work out
>that will keep you going in circles."
>
>"The three men didn't pay $25 plus three more. They paid $25 plus the $2
>that the bellboy kept in his pocket. They actually got back $3 which they
>split equally. So $30 (what they paid up front) - $3 (what they received
>back) = $27
>$25 + $2 = $27 (+ $3 that they got back = $30).
>It is quite confusing at first.
>Leisa"
>
>"The total paid out by the three men is $27 -- $25 for the room and $2 to the
>bellhop. You can't add the total paid for the room plus part of the change
>they got back and get any meanigful result.
>Simplified: Suppose I use 3 $100 bills to buy a TV set costing $230. I get
>back 3 $20 bills and one $10 bill. But $230 plus $60 is $290, and that's
>not divisble by 3!
>Billy Harris"
>
>Melissa
>
>Melissa Anyiwo, PhD
>University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
>History Department
>408 Brock Hall, Dept. #2052
>615 McCallie Avenue
>Chattanooga, TN 37403
>TEL: 423-425-4565
>FAX: 423-425-2138
>[log in to unmask]


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   Aniekan Ebiefung, Ph.D.
    Univ. of Chattanooga Foundation Professor
    Department of Mathematics,  University of
Tennessee
   Chattanooga, TN 37403
   Ph:423-755-4697; Fax:-755-4586
   Project: http://www.utc.edu/~thecmath
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