alien number theory: 3<=x<=y<=97, sum told to Sam, product

[batman1248]

An alien appears to two mathematicians Sam and Polly. The alien says "I am thinking of two numbers X and Y with 3?x?y?97 . I will tell their sum to Sam and Product to Polly. The alien does this and then disappears. The following conversation occurs.

Sam: You don't know what X and Y are

Polly: That's true, but now I do.

Sam: And now I do too

Find x and y (this problem only requires careful, number theoretic reasoning)

 

[stapel]

Find x and y (this problem only requires careful, number theoretic reasoning)

What are your thoughts? What have you tried? How far did you get? Where are you stuck?

Please be complete. Thank you!

Eliz.

 

[batman1248]

Re:

Find x and y (this problem only requires careful, number theoretic reasoning)

What are your thoughts? What have you tried? How far did you get? Where are you stuck?

Please be complete. Thank you!

Eliz.

Dont really know how to do it. All i can think of doing is that the numbers can not be any number that has two factors and one is 2 and 1. For example 8 is 4*2 and 8*1, but two is not a number so included so x or y can not be 8. 12 on the other hand is 2*6 or 4*3 so 12 can be either x or y. I really dont know what else to do.

 

[Denis]

That's an oldie...google "Mr Sum and Mr Product"

 

[batman1248]

That's an oldie...google "Mr Sum and Mr Product"

One step ahead of you. I did that and the numbers that come up when googleing is x and y are between 2 and 99 and i need x to be within 3 and 97

 

[Deleted member 4993]

An alien appears to two mathematicians Sam and Polly. The alien says "I am thinking of two numbers X and Y with 3?x?y?97 . I will tell their sum to Sam and Product to Polly. The alien does this and then disappears. The following conversation occurs.

Sam: You don't know what X and Y are

Polly: That's true, but now I do.<<< Either she is lying - or she should have said "That was true - but now I do."

Sam: And now I do too

Find x and y (this problem only requires careful, number theoretic reasoning)

 

[batman1248]

An alien appears to two mathematicians Sam and Polly. The alien says "I am thinking of two numbers X and Y with 3?x?y?97 . I will tell their sum to Sam and Product to Polly. The alien does this and then disappears. The following conversation occurs.

Sam: You don't know what X and Y are

Polly: That's true, but now I do.<<< Either she is lying - or she should have said "That was true - but now I do."

Sam: And now I do too

Find x and y (this problem only requires careful, number theoretic reasoning)

how does that help me find x and y??