On a man's tombstone, it is recorded that one sixth of his life was spent in childhood and one twelfth as a teenager. One seventh of his life passed between the time he became an adult and the time he married; five years later, his son was born. Alas, the son died four years before he did. He lived to be twice as old as his son did.

How old did the man live to be?

Originally posted by Mathurine

How old did the man live to be?

Originally posted by Mathurine
On a man's tombstone, it is recorded that one sixth of his life was spent in childhood and one twelfth as a teenager. One seventh of his life passed between the time he became an adult and the time he married; five years later, his son was born. Alas, the son died four years before he did. He lived to be twice as old as his son did.

[b]How old did the man live to be?[/b]

Originally posted by sonhouse
Seems like too much information:
At 1/12th of the teenage years, then it would simply be 12*(19-13)
or 12*6= 72 years.
Son= 72/2 or 36 years.

Originally posted by mtthw
Wouldn't that be 12*7? You're a teenager until you turn 20. Otherwise seems right (lived to 84, married at 33, son at 38, son dies at age 42 4 years ago).

I was wrong about Archimedes. The tombstone refers to Diophantus, who died at 84.

Originally posted by mtthw
Wouldn't that be 12*7? You're a teenager until you turn 20. Otherwise seems right (lived to 84, married at 33, son at 38, son dies at age 42 4 years ago).