weird T time question

[sanju09]

Person x and y have the following conversation:

x: I forgot how old your three kids are.

y: The product of their ages is 36.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The sum of their ages is the same as your house number.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The oldest one has red hair.

x: Now I know their ages!

How old are they?

Answer Choices

• 3, 3, 4

• 2, 3, 6

• 1, 6, 6

• 1, 3, 12

• 2, 2, 9

• 1, 2, 18

• 1, 4, 9

• 1, 1, 36

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

This is an old/wonderful puzzle that goes back several decades.
Here's a nice solution:
https://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/58493.html

[deepak_free]

Do we really get such questions in GMAT.

[Stuart@KaplanGMAT]

Do we really get such questions in GMAT.

100% no.

[sanju09]

Do we really get such questions in GMAT.

Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.

[marcusking]

Do we really get such questions in GMAT.

Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.

Why don't you post these types of questions in a SINGLE post of fun non-GMAT related questions. This can be very misleading for someone who is trying to prepare for the GMAT problem solving questions. This is after all a GMAT problem solving forum. I like these posts as much as the next guy I just feel this is the wrong place for them.

[sanju09]

Do we really get such questions in GMAT.

Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.

Why don't you post these types of questions in a SINGLE post of fun non-GMAT related questions. This can be very misleading for someone who is trying to prepare for the GMAT problem solving questions. This is after all a GMAT problem solving forum. I like these posts as much as the next guy I just feel this is the wrong place for them.

Even though it is a weird T time question, doesn't that improve our comprehension and deduction skills. I called it a "logical fun"; if prefix is "logical", then suffix could be "anything" on GMAT. It is not distracting, it cannot be misleading to anyone who knows that there are only two types of questions on real GMAT CAT, Problem Solving (5 choices) and Data Sufficiency (5 choices). In fact attempting to such questions is analogous to playing the same game on a different play ground, with conditions almost difficult and different. Who dares, wins! One will like it if one attempts it on its own, without external references, struggles if leaves logic hanging, and gets it as one finally holds logic back. It gives something to brain.

[marcusking]

Do we really get such questions in GMAT.

Oh no my friend! See the subject of the topic; it's "weird T time question" just a logical fun, nothing else! You can skip such questions on forum if you feel like.

Why don't you post these types of questions in a SINGLE post of fun non-GMAT related questions. This can be very misleading for someone who is trying to prepare for the GMAT problem solving questions. This is after all a GMAT problem solving forum. I like these posts as much as the next guy I just feel this is the wrong place for them.

Even though it is a weird T time question, doesn't that improve our comprehension and deduction skills. I called it a "logical fun"; if prefix is "logical", then suffix could be "anything" on GMAT. It is not distracting, it cannot be misleading to anyone who knows that there are only two types of questions on real GMAT CAT, Problem Solving (5 choices) and Data Sufficiency (5 choices). In fact attempting to such questions is analogous to playing the same game on a different play ground, with conditions almost difficult and different. Who dares, wins! One will like it if one attempts it on its own, without external references, struggles if leaves logic hanging, and gets it as one finally holds logic back. It gives something to brain.

I'm not arguing that they don't improve comprehension. I'm arguing that these are question types that will NEVER be on the GMAT. So why post them in the GMAT forum? These questions clog the message board and make questions that people genuinely struggle with less visible, which undermines the entire purpose of the board.

[kanha81]

Person x and y have the following conversation:

x: I forgot how old your three kids are.

y: The product of their ages is 36.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The sum of their ages is the same as your house number.

x: I still don’t know their ages.

y: The oldest one has red hair.

x: Now I know their ages!

How old are they?

Answer Choices

• 3, 3, 4

• 2, 3, 6

• 1, 6, 6

• 1, 3, 12

• 2, 2, 9

• 1, 2, 18

• 1, 4, 9

• 1, 1, 36

[A] 2, 2, 9
y1, y2, y3 be the ages of the children of Y
y1 * y2 * y3 = 36
y1 + y2 + y3 = n

different possible comb.
1, 1, 36: n=38
2, 2, 9: n=13 (1st possib.)=> oldest has red hair hence answer.
3, 3, 4: n=11
1, 3, 12: n=16
1, 6, 6: n=13 (2nd possib.) => cannot be one b/c only oldest has red hair.
2, 3, 6: n=10
1, 2, 18: n=21
4, 9, 1: n=14