Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/227 - A Match-Boarding Order/Solution

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $227$

A Match-Boarding Order

A man gave an order for $297$ feet of match-boarding of usual width and thickness.

There were to be $16$ pieces, all measuring an exact number of feet -- no fractions of a foot.

He required $8$ pieces of the greatest length, the remaining pieces to be $1$ foot, $2$ feet, or $3$ feet shorter than the greatest length.

How was the order carried out?

Solution

$8$ pieces of $20$ feet

$1$ piece of $18$ feet

$7$ pieces of $17$ feet.

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Solutions: $227$. -- A Match-Boarding Order
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Answers: $242$. A Matchboarding Order