Let's say you want to buy a $97 shirt. You borrow$50 from Friend 1 and $50 from Friend 2. You buy the shirt and get$3 as change. You keep $1 for yourself, one for Friend 1 and the other for Friend 2. Thus, making your debt to Friend 1$49 and Friend 2 $49 If you add the debts, 49+49, it is 98, and then add your$1 which makes $99. Where is the missing dollar? Note by Abijah Bautista 6 years, 10 months ago This discussion board is a place to discuss our Daily Challenges and the math and science related to those challenges. Explanations are more than just a solution — they should explain the steps and thinking strategies that you used to obtain the solution. Comments should further the discussion of math and science. When posting on Brilliant: • Use the emojis to react to an explanation, whether you're congratulating a job well done , or just really confused . • Ask specific questions about the challenge or the steps in somebody's explanation. Well-posed questions can add a lot to the discussion, but posting "I don't understand!" doesn't help anyone. • Try to contribute something new to the discussion, whether it is an extension, generalization or other idea related to the challenge. • Stay on topic — we're all here to learn more about math and science, not to hear about your favorite get-rich-quick scheme or current world events. MarkdownAppears as *italics* or _italics_ italics **bold** or __bold__ bold - bulleted- list • bulleted • list 1. numbered2. list 1. numbered 2. list Note: you must add a full line of space before and after lists for them to show up correctly paragraph 1paragraph 2 paragraph 1 paragraph 2 [example link](https://brilliant.org)example link > This is a quote This is a quote  # I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world" # I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world" MathAppears as Remember to wrap math in $$ ... $$ or $ ... $ to ensure proper formatting. 2 \times 3 $2 \times 3$ 2^{34} $2^{34}$ a_{i-1} $a_{i-1}$ \frac{2}{3} $\frac{2}{3}$ \sqrt{2} $\sqrt{2}$ \sum_{i=1}^3 $\sum_{i=1}^3$ \sin \theta $\sin \theta$ \boxed{123} $\boxed{123}$ ## Comments Sort by: Top Newest See this as: By adding the debts, you are calculating how much you owe the 2 friends, which is $\98$. This tallies with the amount of money that you have spent or have: $98=97$ (from the shirt you bought) $+1$ (that you kept. ) - 6 years, 10 months ago Log in to reply Ok, so lets think about each person separatedly: (You:0 F1:50 F2:50 shop:0) You take the money: (You:100 F1:0 F2:0 shop:0) You buy the shirt (You:3 F1:0 F2:0 shop:97) You give each one 1 dollar (You:1 F1:1 F2:1 shop:97) You pay the debts (You:1-(49+49) F1:1+49 F:1+49 shop:97) (You:-97 F1:50 F:50 shop:97) I dont see any missing dollar.. In your text you dont take the final payment in account to sum all the money :p Actually the sum is always 100 dollars and you'll end up with a -97 debt just as expected. Anyway why are you adding debts? It doesnt have any meaning :P - 6 years, 10 months ago Log in to reply You should subtract it.. of course! Instead you are adding it.. :) - 6 years, 10 months ago Log in to reply Very good question, all though, I do not believe it works that way sadly. Lets think of it another way: Debt is a separate thing from the money itself, it is how much you owe the person. I don't know exactly why it does this with two people, but it seems to not happen with one person only. This is very interesting. - 6 years, 10 months ago Log in to reply By what Logic are you adding the 1$ to the debt of 98\$ ???

- 6 years, 10 months ago

This problem is very much like this one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missingdollarriddle

- 6 years, 10 months ago

it is with me only...because , from the beginning i don't have any money but bought a shirt with all frnds money. at last i have one dollar with me..thats the missing dollar

- 6 years, 10 months ago

you are supposed to subtract one, not add.

- 6 years, 10 months ago