Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 18

Thread: The Italian Job

  1. #1
    Old and Cranky Super Moderator rik's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Watching Your every move...
    Posts
    4,303

    The Italian Job

    An Italian man wants a job, but the foreman won't hire him until he passes a little math test. "Here's your first question," the foreman said.

    "Without using numbers, represent the number 9."

    "Without numbers?" the Italian says, "Dat is easy." And he proceeds to draw three trees.

    "What's this?" the boss asks.

    "Ave you got no brain? Tree and tree and tree make nine," says the Italian.
    "Fair enough," says the boss. "Here's your second question. Use the same rules, but this time the number is 99."

    The Italian stares into space for a while, then picks up the picture that he has just drawn and makes a smudge on each tree. "Ere you go."

    The boss scratches his head and says, "How on earth do you get that to represent 99?"

    "Each of da trees is dirty now. So, it's dirty tree, and dirty tree, and dirty tree. Dat is 99."

    The boss is getting worried that he's going to actually have to hire this guy, so he says, "All right, last question. Same rules again, but represent the number 100."

    The Italian stares into space some more, then he picks up the picture again and makes a little mark at the base of each tree and says, "Ere you go. One hundred."

    The boss looks at the attempt. "You must be nuts if you think that represents a hundred!"


    The Italian leans forward and points to the marks at the base of each tree and says,

    "A little dog came along and crap by each tree. So now you got dirty tree and a turd, dirty tree and a turd, and dirty tree and a turd, dat make one hundred.

    So, when I start?"

  2. #2
    Senior Member beelzebub's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    California
    Posts
    223
    Haha, but that guy aint getting hired 33.3+33.3+33.3 = 99.9. Sorry, if I have ruined the joke but I cant stand by whilst such a mathematical trajedy is occuring.

  3. #3
    Senior Member blackhat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    202
    Me neither. 3(33+1/3) is certainly equal to 100, since 33+1/3=33.3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333. You get the idea. Plug that into your calculator. DRB

    "Will Golf for Food"

  4. #4
    Super Moderator Super Moderator Big Booger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    JAPAN
    Posts
    10,201
    Good joke. Reminds me of that guy from Fawlty Towers...

  5. #5
    Senior Member beelzebub's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    California
    Posts
    223
    ok what ever 33.3333333333......*3=99.999999999999999999999999......, you get the idea. I guess I didnt feel like taking out the 3 inifinitly.

  6. #6
    Senior Member blackhat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    202
    Whew! Touchy!! Infinity is exactly where the decimal equivalent of 1/3 (one divided by three) is carried out to. BTW- *3 means raised to the 3rd power. not multiplied by three. That would make it roughly 37,000. If you say "to three significant figures" then you would be correct with your initial calculation. DRB

    "Will Golf for Food"

  7. #7
    Senior Member beelzebub's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    California
    Posts
    223
    wow lets just drop this, and as my final note ^ is the simbol that designates carrying something to a power (as in 2^5=32), * is not normally used to show multiplication... well except in programming languages (as in 2 * 5 = 10) and I have never seen it used to show something raised to a power.

    This is my final reply to anything math related in this thread. I am sorry if I have seemed a little touchy, I say let's just let by gones be by gones, no need to be rivals over such trivial topics.

  8. #8
    Old and Cranky Super Moderator rik's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Watching Your every move...
    Posts
    4,303

  9. #9
    Senior Member blackhat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    202
    Didn't mean to sound snotty. I'm not! I just love to discuss things mathematical. (Check smile in my sig) I do find that writing math in program language is much easier and less confusing.
    I love this site. You guys rock! My strengths are just a little tangent to the focus of this site. Please don't be offended. I was just trying for a little clever banter. DRB

    "Will Golf for Food"

  10. #10
    Senior Member beelzebub's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    California
    Posts
    223
    Haha ok, I love math myself and I also love to discuss math but it is impossible for me to hear or feel most emotions or inflections that go with a post. eg I usually cant recognize sarcasm. That is why I reacted the way I did. (Sarcasm) I find having no emotions to be my only flaw. Haha

  11. #11
    Platinum+ Member z3n's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    580
    Hehehe, You two math nerds, it's a joke... lol !!

    Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.~ Groucho

  12. #12
    Senior Member blackhat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    202
    Yes! And I greatly enjoyed the associated posts as well as learning from beel the confusing nature of the many acceptable ways to write a math expression. It gave me something pleasant to think about as I spent the day pounding shingles in 105 degree heat. PRICELESS! Thanks beel! DRB

    "Will Golf for Food"

  13. #13
    Senior Member beelzebub's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    California
    Posts
    223
    No problem

    (100/3) * 3 = 100

    33.333.....*3=99.999...

    Gotta love it

  14. #14
    Platinum+ Member z3n's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    580
    .

    Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.~ Groucho

  15. #15
    Near Life Experienced TZ Veteran zipp51's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    1,043
    1/3+1/3+1/3=1
    OR
    one turd + one turd +one turd = three turds/3=1 Sounds a right too me when do I start.
    The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •