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_ T C Clue
THE CHILDREN ARE 1, 6 AND 6 YEARS OLD. THE PRODUCT OF THEIR AGES IS 36, SO NONE OF THEM CAN BE OLDER THAN 36. THE NUMBER 36 HAS TO BE EXPRESSED AS THE PRODUCT OF 3 NUMBERS. THEIR POSSIBLE AGES ARE (THE SUM OF THEIR AGES IS IN BRACKETS): 1, 1, 36 (3938) 1, 2, 18 (21) 1, 3, 12 (16) 1, 4, 9 (14) 1, 6, 6 (13) 2, 2, 9 (13) 2, 3, 6 (11) 3, 3, 4 (10) SINCE CHERYL IS TOM'S NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOUR, TOM KNOWS CHERYL'S HOUSE NUMBER. TOM WOULD KNOW THE CHILDREN'S AGES IN EVERY CASE THAT SUMS UP TO A UNIQUE NUMBER EXCEPT FOR THE SUM OF 13, WHICH HAVE 2 COMBINATIONS OF POSSIBLE AGES. AS A RESULT, TOM WOULD BE CONFUSED AS HE HAS TO PICK BETWEEN THE 2 COMBINATIONS: (1,6,6) AND (2,2,9). CHERYL THEN TELLS TOM ABOUT HER YOUNGEST CHILD WHO LIKES STRAWBERRY MILK WHICH TELLS TOM THAT THERE IS ONLY 1 YOUNGEST CHILD THERE ARE 19 KIDS IN THE CLASS. TOTAL NUMBER OF BOYS IN THE CLASS = BOYS WHO WEAR BLUE SHIRTS + BOYS WHO DO NOT WEAR BLUE SHIRTS. THERE ARE 3 BOYS (8 WEAR BLUE - 5 GIRLS WEARING BLUE) WHO WEAR BLUE SHIRTS. THERE ARE 2 BOYS WHO DO NOT WEAR A BLUE SHIRT. THEREFORE, THERE ARE 5 BOYS IN THE CLASS. IN TOTAL, THERE ARE 14 GIRLS + 5 BOYS IN THE CLASS 27 STUDENTS. THE NUMBER OF BOYS MUST BE A MULTIPLES OF 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, ...) SO THAT IT CAN BE SPLIT IN THE RATIO OF 2:1 (NO WATCH:WATCH). THE NUMBER OF GIRLS IS DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF BOYS - 6, 12, 18, 24, ETC. SO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS CAN ONLY BE 9, 18, 27, 36, ETC THE ADDRESS IS 1460 SUNSET BOULEVARD. YOU KNOW THAT THE HOUSE NUMBERS ARE EVEN AND CONSECUTIVE, SO THEY MUST BE APPROXIMATELY 1/6TH THE VALUE OF THE SUM 8790. IN FACT, THE NUMBER THAT IS 1/6TH THE TOTAL IS THE MEAN (AVERAGE) FOR ALL 6 HOUSES. THE AVERAGE NUMBER IS 1465 (8790 / 6). THERE MUST BE 3 HOUSE NUMBERS GREATER THAN THAT NUMBER, AND 3 HOUSE NUMBERS LESS THAN THAT NUMBER, ALL BEING EVEN AND CONSECUTIVE. THEREFORE, THE 6 HOUSE NUMBERS ARE 1460, 1462, 1464, 1466, 1468, 1470. THE LOWEST HOUSE NUMBER, AS PER THE QUESTION, IS THE ANSWER: 1460