A Utopian Problem

By

KT Rajagopalan

The question

The currency of Utopia is the drazma and the only currency note there is that of 23 drazmas. The price of any article is in a whole number of drazmas. Three apples and five pears can be bought for an exact number of currency notes. Which of the following can similarly be bought for an exact number of currency notes?

a) 4 apples and 3 pears

b) 5 apples and 2 pears

c) 7 apples and 4 pears

d) 4 apples and 9 pears

Would the conventional approach help?

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