The problem is that a farmer had a piece of land that consisted of 3 sections as shown in the diagram. He had four sons to which he willed three quarter sections each. However the farmer loved the shape of his land (L shape) and it was his desire that each of the properties that his sons inherited would have exactly the same shape as the original farm. Can you divide the land for the farmer?
When Joshua and the elders divided the land it was to be given to a family and to that families heirs. The land was not to be sold but kept by the family. That did create some questions such as what if the land owner did not have any heirs?
Let me know if you can divide the land in the diagram above. I would like to offer a prize for the first one but ...
3 comments:
May your mathematically inclined son claim the prize? ;)
If you put the first L shaped piece in the in the same direction as the original plot and put it in the inside corner (so that 1/3 of it is in each smaller square), then by necessity the other three pieces must be the L shape.
My mathematically inclined son does claim the prize. When I divide my property among my four sons even though you are the youngest you shall have first pick (that is if we divide our back yard that way). However, I must find a prize for such a talented son.
I was thinking the same thing... honestly. But I was reading it in Google reader and didn't realize that Jacob... I mean Tyler has stolen the birthright from his ignorant, harrier, man-of-the-field older brother.
Here's my challenge for Tyler: try and divide it up 7 equal ways so that it maintains the same shape as the original. Now let's see how smart you are ;)
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