Bistromathmatics
, Issue 61; 14 Apr 2004; last modified 08 Oct 2010
It turns out Slartibartfast was right.
My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. That's almost $7.00 in dog money.
A party of seven goes to dinner. A couple of us pay by credit card. The balance is $105, gratuity included, split five ways. That’s $21 each, right?
$21 + $21 + $21 + $21 + $25 - $4 = $120. We all agree that everyone put in $21. I think I watched the money going onto the table. No one thinks they overpaid.
Bistromathmatics, that’s the only explanation. I’m sure the waitress didn’t mind.
Comments
Umm... I don't see how you come up with the $120.
The idea is that five people think they paid $21 each. Which should be $105. At $120 total someone made a miscalculation. :-) Or the two that didn't have to pay put something in as well anyway. BTW, I think it's "Bistromathics". Here's the original story from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: http://www.earthstar.co.uk/bistro.htm. If you don't understand it, don't panic: neither does Douglas Adams.
Ahh. I read that differently. I see what he was saying now.
Right. The mathematical inequality was the funny bit. To the extent that there was a funny bit.