HDD Killers

Money Troubles

Posted on Thursday 11 May 2006

Since I can’t think of any actual content, how about another puzzle?

Yeah, I knew you’d like it.

Anyway, it goes like this. How many ways are there to make 20 pence (using only English currency and coins that are only in current circulation). It’s as simple as that.

If that’s TOO simple for you, then how many ways are there to make £4?

For clarification, no, you can’t give them £4.50 and have them give you 50p back, or anything like that, otherwise there would be an infinite number of ways. Also, these are the only coins that can be used:

  • £2
  • £1
  • 50p
  • 20p
  • 10p
  • 5p
  • 2p
  • 1p

There are 100p in £1, but most of you probably knew that already.


  1.  
    Friday 12th May 2006 | 3:38 am
     
  2.  
    Friday 12th May 2006 | 1:35 pm
     
    David's Globally Recognised Avatar

    That’s a good one Dan, well worthy of all that CSS. 😉

    Incidentally, during an MSN convo with Dan, he scoffed at how we had a 2p coin and how it was stupid etc. etc. However, I would like to say that it’s not stupid, it’s consistent.

    We have 1p, 2p and 5p coins, then we have 10p, 20p and 50p coins, then we have £1 and £2 coins and a £5 note, then we have £10, £20 and £50 notes. Hopefully you’ll have seen a pattern there, but if you haven’t, it’s 1, 2 and 5 to increasing orders of magnitude.

    The American system on the other hand, 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c, $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, it’s almost there, but not quite. It would be if they had a $25 note instead of the $20 note, or 20c coin instead of the 25c coin.

  3.  
    Sunday 14th May 2006 | 3:11 am
     
    Daniel's Globally Recognised Avatar

    “it’s not stupid, it’s consistent.”

    ‘stupid’ and ‘consistent’ do not contradict…

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