Where Is the Father in This Age-Related Riddle?

  • Context: MHB 
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a riddle involving the ages of a mother and child, and humorously questions the whereabouts of the father. It includes mathematical reasoning related to the ages and interpretations of the riddle's punchline.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants present the riddle stating that the mother is 21 years older than the child and that in 6 years, the mother will be 5 times the child's age.
  • One participant humorously suggests that the father is dead, which is met with a challenge from another participant.
  • A participant shares their solution to the riddle, providing mathematical equations to derive the mother's age and implying the father's role in a humorous context.
  • Another participant calculates the child's age as negative, suggesting a time before birth, and humorously states that the father is "creating" with the mother.
  • There is a playful exchange about the father's role, with one participant affirming the idea of procreation in a light-hearted manner.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing humorous interpretations of the father's role, with some suggesting he is deceased and others implying he is involved in procreation. The discussion remains playful and unresolved regarding the father's situation.

Contextual Notes

The mathematical reasoning presented relies on assumptions about age relationships and does not resolve the implications of negative age values.

masters1
I posted this a long time ago, but maybe some of you might have missed it.

The mother is 21 years older than the child.
6 years from now, the mother will be 5 times as old as the child.

Question : Where is the father?
 
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he is dead
 
Amer said:
he is dead

Not quite.
 

I solved this problem/joke way back then.
It's one of my favorites.

I think the punchline is very funny.
 
masters said:
I posted this a long time ago, but maybe some of you might have missed it.

The mother is 21 years older than the child.
6 years from now, the mother will be 5 times as old as the child.

Question : Where is the father?


x = mother age
y = childs age

$x = 21 + y$ and $y + 6 = (x + 6)/5$

So $y = x - 21$ by substitution we have $x - 21 + 6 = (x + 6)/5\Leftrightarrow x - x/5 = 15 + 6/5 \Leftrightarrow x(4/5) = 81/5\Leftrightarrow x = 81/4\approx 20.25$

So the father is having "relations" with the mother.
 
c = child; so mother = c+21

c+21 + 6 = 5(c + 6)

c = -3/4

9 months BEFORE birth...so father is "creating" with mother! Real cute.
 
Nice!
 
Wilmer said:
. . .

9 months BEFORE birth...so father is "creating" with mother! Real cute.

Isn't the father procreating with the mother?
 

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