Someone forwarded this brain teaser to me over the weekend and i must confess, it really messed with my mind.
All those who I have sent it to have come up with different answers and they swear theirs is the correct one.
Lets see if you can get it right:
Someone steals your N500. Same person owes you N100, so he uses the stolen N500 to pay you his N100 debt and you give him N400.
How much did you lose?

Total debit = 500+100+400

Total credit = 100

Balance= -900

You lost 900

600

gbegemaster:
Total debit = 500+100+400
Total credit = 100
Balance= -900
You lost 900

Bros keep trying o. am not sure it's correct

Mods! should please help take this to FP for people to solve. This is getting hot here
let people show their mathematics skills

Lalasticlala Mynd44

You lost 500. Forget the 400 change.

irenmwinfo:

Bros keep trying o. am not sure it's correct

I am 100% sure it is.

The way to properly account for loss is to do it accounting style.

MMM style will not help you.

Plus the money he owes, the total lost is 500. . .give me reasons why am wrong

gbegemaster:
Total debit = 500+100+400

Total credit = 100

Balance= -900

You lost 900

.

majicplus:
Plus the money he owes, the total lost is 500. . .give me reasons why am wrong

remember u habe to show your prove. solve it mathematically

anotherydz:
You lost 500. Forget the 400 change.

Bros solve it to ahow prove

irenmwinfo:
remember u habe to show your prove. solve it mathematically

ok, the guy owes me N100, -N100.
Stole 500 frm me, -N500. Total loss now N600 ,Then gave me 500, wich is the money he stole frm me, and i gave him 400 plus the initial N100 he owes me, amounting my total loss to N500

irenmwinfo:
Bros solve it to ahow prove

What do you want again? That's the simplest approach. forget the 400 change it is part of the stolen 500 and not yours.

You lose only the 500naira he stole...

gbegemaster:
Total debit = 500+100+400

Total credit = 100

Balance= -900

You lost 900

Ponzi scheme don enter ur brain.... My bro calculate am well well like e dey real. D ans is #500. ok??

It's 500

The simple answer is N500 but since mathematical proof is needed here, let's go:-

let the stolen money be a, the balance you gave out be c and the borrowed money be y.
a+c+y=total loss.(i.e all the money you gave out during the process)
Now when a=500, c=400 y=100. 500+100+400=1000.
Total expenses in the whole process=N1000.

Total income during the entire process which is the money that the person gave you=N500.

Therefore, final answer=total income-total expenses.
i.e N1000-N500= N500.

gbegemaster:
I am 100% sure it is.

The way to properly account for loss is to do it accounting style.

MMM style will not help you.

Guy, u ar not correct even using accounting method. Check my Mathematical analysis above or see this my second analysis here. This one is more practical.

Assuming you have only N1000 (one note N500+2notes of N200 i.e N400+ 1note of N100) with you and your roommate borrows the N100 note and the same roommate steals the N500 note. You are then left with only N400. Later that your roommate pays you his debt (of N100) with a N500 note (the one he stole from you) and you use the remaining N400 with you to give him change (balance). What you have with you now is only the N500 note the he paid you; but your initial money with you was N1000. How much have lost?
The answer is N1000-N500 = N500

If you have understood it now, thank me and if you have not, ask me your questions.

Stole ur 500 pays debt of 100 you give him change 400.ans you lose 400 500-100=400

You still loose 500 as for the prove find it urself