Arrghhh... can't figure this one out

[Positive - Communications]

This game I've been playing occasionally pops up a riddle. This is
one that I can't solve, and it's been keeping me awake nights, dammit.

Perhaps some kind soul might be able to shed some light:

"I am twice as old as three times the age
of the Sphinx of Gazia, Agamamnus,
divided by one-ninth the age of the
Sphinx of Canus, Igon, who left this
world twenty six years ago."

What then is my age?

There are no references to Sphinxes in this game, so it isn't
a simple mathmatical equation. Even if I put it into algebraic
terms, I don't think I could solve for the unknown values (the
age of the two sphinxes).

Anyone?

Jon
--
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| Jon E. Barron Positive Communications |
| jba...@positive.com Pleasanton, CA, 94588 |
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

[Aimee D. Severson]

In article <38i811$7...@news1.shell> posi...@shell.portal.com (Positive - Communications) writes:
This game I've been playing occasionally pops up a riddle. This is
one that I can't solve, and it's been keeping me awake nights, dammit.

Perhaps some kind soul might be able to shed some light:

"I am twice as old as three times the age
of the Sphinx of Gazia, Agamamnus,
divided by one-ninth the age of the
Sphinx of Canus, Igon, who left this
world twenty six years ago."

What then is my age?

There are no references to Sphinxes in this game, so it isn't
a simple mathmatical equation. Even if I put it into algebraic
terms, I don't think I could solve for the unknown values (the
age of the two sphinxes).

Well, actually it's kind of a silly riddle, and they're assuming you can
make some not very obvious assumptions. The "twenty-six years ago" is
supposed to make you think of the alphabet. Therefore, the Sphinx Agamemnus
is 1 (a=1) + 7 (g=7) + 1 + 13 + 1 + 13 + 14 + 20 + 18=88 years old.
Actually, this is supposed to sum to 90. Are you sure you spelled his name
right?

The Sphinx Igon is 9 + 7 + 15 + 14 =45 years old

Then I am (2*3*90) / ((1/9)*45) = 540/5 = **108**

The answer to the riddle is thus 108.

Aimee

--
Aimee Severson (ai...@gecko.ee.byu.edu)

[Torben AEgidius Mogensen]

posi...@shell.portal.com (Positive - Communications) writes:

>This game I've been playing occasionally pops up a riddle. This is
>one that I can't solve, and it's been keeping me awake nights, dammit.

>Perhaps some kind soul might be able to shed some light:

>"I am twice as old as three times the age
>of the Sphinx of Gazia, Agamamnus,
>divided by one-ninth the age of the
>Sphinx of Canus, Igon, who left this
>world twenty six years ago."

>What then is my age?

>There are no references to Sphinxes in this game, so it isn't
>a simple mathmatical equation. Even if I put it into algebraic
>terms, I don't think I could solve for the unknown values (the
>age of the two sphinxes).

I can't solve it completely, but I can narrow down the solution space.

I think we can assume that the ages of you and the sphinxes are
integers. From this we can assume that the age og Igon divides by
9. Since he left 26 years ago, we can assume his age is at least
that. That leaves the possibilities 27, 36, 45, 54 etc.

If Igon is 27, we get that the solution must be twice the age of
Agamamnus.

If Igon is 36, the solution is 3A/2, where A is the age of Agamamnus.

If Igon is 45, the solution is 6A/5.

If Igon is 54, the solution is A.

etc.

If you have several tries to answer the age, you can try some values
of A and see if they work. There is not information enough in the
riddle to find a better answer, so either you must seek other
information or just try ome values.

Torben Mogensen (tor...@diku.dk)

[Gavin Doyle]

Positive - Communications (posi...@shell.portal.com) wrote:

: This game I've been playing occasionally pops up a riddle. This is

: Anyone?

You should try either Zero (0) or Infinity...i'd
suppose they'd be two logical choices, though i don't knpow why. Let us
know what happens.

--
"Bow logic, fate, human kind, * "Evil is but a perspective, and
Is not my feeling of my mind? * good is seldom perceived."
Is not my love from deep inside? *
Is not my hope but human pride?" *

--DOYLE--

[Wei-Hwa Huang]

gtd...@liberty.uc.wlu.edu (Gavin Doyle) writes:

>Positive - Communications (posi...@shell.portal.com) wrote:

>: This game I've been playing occasionally pops up a riddle. This is
>: one that I can't solve, and it's been keeping me awake nights, dammit.

>: Perhaps some kind soul might be able to shed some light:

>: "I am twice as old as three times the age
>: of the Sphinx of Gazia, Agamamnus,
>: divided by one-ninth the age of the
>: Sphinx of Canus, Igon, who left this
>: world twenty six years ago."

>: What then is my age?

I don't have a "perfect" solution. However, noting that the algebra
tells you that "my" age is 54 times the ratio of ages between the Sphinges,
I'd start by guessing rational multiples of 54, like 54, 108, 162, 27, 81, etc.

-- Wei-Hwa

[agia...@gmail.com]

I figured it out. Aimee was basically right. Aimee's only mistake was in determining the ordinal numbers of the letters "u" and "s". They are the 21st and 19th letters in the English alphabet, respectively, not the 20th and 18th. Jon's spelling was correct. If you follow Aimee's math using the correct ordinal numbers, then you get Agamamnus's age of 90, and the correct final answer, 108.

[Mark Brader]

Apparently in 1994 an anonymous poster wrote:

>>> This game I've been playing occasionally pops up a riddle. This is
>>> one that I can't solve, and it's been keeping me awake nights, dammit.

>>> Perhaps some kind soul might be able to shed some light:

>>> "I am twice as old as three times the age
>>> of the Sphinx of Gazia, Agamamnus,
>>> divided by one-ninth the age of the
>>> Sphinx of Canus, Igon, who left this
>>> world twenty six years ago."

>>> What then is my age?

>>> There are no references to Sphinxes in this game, so it isn't
>>> a simple mathmatical equation. Even if I put it into algebraic
>>> terms, I don't think I could solve for the unknown values (the
>>> age of the two sphinxes).

And then Aimee Severson answered:

>> Well, actually it's kind of a silly riddle, and they're assuming you can
>> make some not very obvious assumptions. The "twenty-six years ago" is
>> supposed to make you think of the alphabet. Therefore, the Sphinx Agamemnus
>> is 1 (a=1) + 7 (g=7) + 1 + 13 + 1 + 13 + 14 + 20 + 18=88 years old.
>> Actually, this is supposed to sum to 90. Are you sure you spelled his name
>> right?

>> The Sphinx Igon is 9 + 7 + 15 + 14 =45 years old

>> Then I am (2*3*90) / ((1/9)*45) = 540/5 = **108**

>> The answer to the riddle is thus 108.

Now someone else comments:

> I figured it out. Aimee was basically right. Aimee's only mistake was in
> determining the ordinal numbers of the letters "u" and "s". They are the
> 21st and 19th letters in the English alphabet, respectively, not the
> 20th and 18th. Jon's spelling was correct. If you follow Aimee's math
> using the correct ordinal numbers, then you get Agamamnus's age of 90,
> and the correct final answer, 108.

Hang on. If this person was 108 in 1994, shouldn't the answer now be 131?
--
Mark Brader | The last 10% of the performance sought contributes
Toronto | one-third of the cost and two-thirds of the problems.
m...@vex.net | -- Norm Augustine

My text in this article is in the public domain.