Strawberry Fields Forever

A man conducting a survey visits the home of a woman. He knocks on the door and sees a woman with her three children. He asks for the ages of her children. She tells him, “The product of their ages is 72. And the sum of their ages is the number on the door.” So the man goes outside and checks the number of the door. He comes back and says, “I need more information.” She replies: “The oldest one likes strawberries.” Immediately, the man figures out their ages. What are their ages?

Submitted by [email protected].

96 Comments

  1. Steven Miller on February 25, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    nope — email [email protected]



  2. Sarah on February 25, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    Easy – the answer is
    The ages are:
    2 4 9

    2*4*9 = 72
    2+4+9 = 15



  3. Steven Miller on March 16, 2013 at 7:00 am

    tried emailing you — email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu



  4. michelle on March 15, 2013 at 2:14 pm

    what is the answer to the medium level strawberry fields forever



  5. michelle on March 15, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    What is the answer to this problem of medium strawberry fields forever



  6. Steven Miller on February 18, 2013 at 2:00 am

    your email address didn’t work — email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu



  7. Steven Miller on December 20, 2012 at 4:19 am

    well done — your soln is correct, you can email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu



  8. Sir Alex von Weiss on December 19, 2012 at 11:17 pm

    By the way I never looked at any hints or anything until now… So proud :’)



  9. Steven Miller on December 18, 2012 at 1:59 am

    Anonymous: correct (sjm1 AT williams.edu)



  10. Steven Miller on November 9, 2012 at 1:29 am

    no – email me at sjm1 AT williams.edu



  11. prestonbrasher on November 8, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    4 3 6



  12. Steven Miller on October 18, 2012 at 1:05 am

    email me: sjm1 AT williams.edu



  13. Steven Miller on August 30, 2012 at 4:35 am

    Christy: glad you enjoyed the problem (sjm1 AT williams.edu)



  14. Christy on August 30, 2012 at 3:28 am

    I love this problem, I started thinking that since the oldest likes strawberries he/she must be older than a toddler (so he/she could enjoy them) I guess that is my mothering instinct haha. The answer just came to me and I never thought about using the other factors of 72. this is a cute problem 🙂



  15. Steven Miller on June 19, 2012 at 1:09 am

    I”ll send a hint /s



  16. Mark Hebb on June 18, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    Please, what is the answer?



  17. Mr. Diaz on May 16, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    the solution…pretty please…with strawberries on top?



  18. Steven Miller on May 16, 2012 at 4:49 am

    Loki: well done!



  19. Steven Miller on April 26, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Hmm — my program says the email reached you. You can email me directly at sjm1 AT williams.edu, and I can send it to you directly. //s



  20. Steven Miller on April 26, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    I’ll send a hint. Let me know if that helps. //s



  21. Sharon on April 26, 2012 at 1:59 pm

    what is the answer?



  22. Steven Miller on April 13, 2012 at 12:41 am

    nope



  23. anonymous on April 12, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    2 36 1



  24. Steven Miller on April 3, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    xiaomilk: correct — you can also send email to sjm1 AT williams.edu



  25. xiaomilk on April 3, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    I know I got the answer already but I just wanna clarify something. Since the man has to ask another question, that means there are 2 triples that give 72 when multiplied together and give the same number on the door when added together. That would be 8,3,3 and 6,6 2, so when the lady answered that the oldest child likes strawberries, it would be eliminated down to 8,3 and 3, thus the answer, right? I believe I did not add this point in my answer. And as to the reason why there is definitely a twin among the children, the question would have several possibilities e.g. 9,4,2 and 12,3 and 2 ( both add up to 17 when all numbers are added and gives 72 when multiplied together ). Am I right?



  26. Steven Miller on April 1, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    I’ll send a hint first. //s



  27. E on April 1, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    Can I have the soln for this?



  28. xiaomilk on March 30, 2012 at 9:05 am

    it was kind of a hunch. nice site btw. love the riddles =)



  29. Steven Miller on March 29, 2012 at 8:18 pm

    xiaomilk: correct, not posting as it’s the soln



  30. Steven Miller on March 28, 2012 at 11:31 am

    sure — emailed you a hint to start, if that doesn’t help email sjm1 AT williams.edu



  31. vij ram on March 28, 2012 at 5:35 am

    plz am going crazy .mail me the ans asap plz tnxs



  32. Steven Miller on March 27, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    I’ll send a hint first — let me know (sjm1 AT williams.edu) how that goes.

    you have three numbers that multiply to 72.

    so, assume they’re all integers. you know the door number. so, if there is only ONE triple that adds to a given integer, you have enough info. You clearly don’t have enough info, as you have to ask the lady another question, so there must be TWO triples with the same sum. What does knowing there is an eldest child tell you? THAT is what her answer gives!



  33. Anonymous on March 27, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    Can u email me the answer??



  34. Steven Miller on March 24, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    sure //s



  35. M on March 23, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    Answer Please!! [email protected]



  36. Steven Miller on March 14, 2012 at 1:12 am

    To anonymous at 12:45am your time: correct, well done! not posting as it’s the soln //s



  37. Steven Miller on March 12, 2012 at 11:26 am

    no, sorry. let me know if you want a hint (sjm1 AT williams.edu)



  38. Caitlin on March 12, 2012 at 1:48 am

    is it 4, 3, and 6?



  39. Steven Miller on March 9, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    will send mine so we can compare ..s



  40. Brian on March 9, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    I would love a solution…I think I have it…



  41. Steven Miller on February 23, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    sure, sending ..s



  42. Anne Bayruns on February 23, 2012 at 8:28 pm

    I would love the solution to Strawberry Fields Forever! Thanks.



  43. Steven Miller on February 17, 2012 at 4:51 am

    Done, enjoy. //s



  44. SHY on February 16, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    send me the answer please,



  45. Steven Miller on February 8, 2012 at 2:06 am

    sure, will do



  46. ed on February 7, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Can someone give me the answer to this one? [email protected]



  47. Steven Miller on February 4, 2012 at 1:55 am

    to awesome: correct, well done — not posting as its the soln



  48. Rob M on January 15, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    can you give me the solution please



  49. Steven Miller on January 13, 2012 at 1:39 am

    nope — email me at [email protected] if you want to chat about the answer / get a hint



  50. Rob M on January 12, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    Is it 9,4 and 2



  51. Steven Miller on January 11, 2012 at 7:10 am

    J-crew: correct, well done; not posting as it’s the soln.



  52. Steven Miller on January 5, 2012 at 4:12 am

    sure /s



  53. Diana on January 5, 2012 at 3:13 am

    Can you Please send me the answer to this riddle at [email protected]



  54. Steven Miller on December 30, 2011 at 11:33 pm

    Kher ([email protected]): looks correct



  55. Kher on December 30, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    2..4..9, 3..4..6, 3..3..8, 1..3..24, 1..4..18, 1…2..36, 2…3…12

    if she has twins than 3…3..8 is correct



  56. Steven Miller on December 30, 2011 at 10:16 pm

    not quite — email me at [email protected] for a hint / soln



  57. Naj on December 30, 2011 at 10:14 pm

    2,4, and 9



  58. Steven Miller on December 22, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    ok, will do



  59. Bill on December 21, 2011 at 6:36 am

    plz send me the answer at: [email protected]



  60. Steven Miller on December 13, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    sure ..s



  61. V on December 13, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    send me the anwser at [email protected]



  62. Steven Miller on December 12, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    sure, sent. //s



  63. V on December 12, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    can you please send me the anwser……..this riddle is driving me crazyyyyyyy XD



  64. Steven Miller on December 6, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    Not quite — email me at [email protected] if you want to discuss.



  65. Kiana and Lane on December 6, 2011 at 3:42 pm

    The twins (assuming the youngest are twins) are 4 and the oldest is 6.

    If this is wrong, I don’t see how it could be a sum on a door….what is the number on the door??



  66. Steven Miller on December 1, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    SirMordred: Correct! Not posting as this is the soln



  67. Steven Miller on November 17, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    It does depend on how one looks at twins. For this riddle, they want you to consider two people who are the same number of years old as the same age.



  68. Debbie on November 17, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    But even with twins there is an oldest child. Stating the oldest likes strawberries doesn’t eliminate that there still may be twins. My brother in law is a twin and since he was the first one out, he is considered the oldest child in his family. It depends how one looks at twins.



  69. Steven Miller on November 12, 2011 at 2:48 am

    it means she has a unique, eldest child. let me know if this isn’t enough of a hint ([email protected])



  70. Soroush on November 11, 2011 at 11:34 pm

    How does knowing that the sum of their ages is on the door help solve this riddle?



  71. Steven Miller on November 11, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    nope, sorry



  72. Soroush on November 11, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    Are their ages 2, 4, and 9?



  73. Steven Miller on November 10, 2011 at 12:42 am

    it tells you that there is an OLDEST child, and not two twins who are the oldest together.



  74. Debbie on November 9, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    Do I have to know something about strawberries in order to figure this out? I don’t see, with my given knowledge of strawberries, how strawberries can eliminate a possibility.



  75. Steven Miller on November 1, 2011 at 6:46 pm

    Kimberly: Correct! Not posting as it is the soln.



  76. Steven Miller on October 20, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    Beth: your email account didn’t work. Email me at [email protected] if you want a hint.



  77. beth on October 20, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    not sure



  78. Steven Miller on October 11, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    Email me at [email protected] for more of a hint if this isn’t enough. Strawberries are included to eliminate the possibility that the oldest child is a twin.



  79. Mads on October 11, 2011 at 10:40 am

    Not able to figure the imporatnce of strawberries in this 🙁



  80. Steven Miller on October 6, 2011 at 3:56 am

    This is a mathematical riddle — the information provided does lead to a math problem.



  81. VIJITH on October 6, 2011 at 3:53 am

    GIVE RIDDLES



  82. Steven Miller on October 2, 2011 at 11:05 am

    Not quite. look for the following: you need two triples that have the same sum, and one of the triples must have the two largest numbers the same, the other has the two largest numbers differing.



  83. Al on October 2, 2011 at 5:29 am

    12, 6, 1



  84. Steven Miller on September 30, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    I don’t see how either works. Hint: the product and sum have to have just two decompositions, each with a repeated value.



  85. Jack on September 30, 2011 at 5:16 am

    I think 9,8,1 is the best answer and fits the strawberries logic better than 6,4,3.



  86. Steven Miller on August 26, 2011 at 2:06 am

    Nope — this is one of the possibilities, and the ‘strawberry’ question is designed to eliminate this.



  87. Rashmi on August 25, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Is it 2,6 & 6?



  88. Steven Miller on August 21, 2011 at 2:57 am

    I’m not saying whether or not your answer is correct, but I will say the logic is wrong — it doesn’t have anything to do with 8 and oo being similar, though that’s an extremely clever idea! Remember “Forever” is just in the title of the riddle, not in the riddle itself.



  89. K on August 20, 2011 at 10:41 pm

    Is it 3, 3, 8? Because 8 looks like the infinity symbol to represent strawberry fields “forever” (forever = infinity)? This is a wild guess. There are so many other combinations that could be the answer.



  90. Steven Miller on August 18, 2011 at 2:00 am

    To mark: yes, your soln is correct for strawberry fields (not posting it as it is correct).



  91. Steven Miller on July 27, 2011 at 3:45 am

    Email to you failed — try emailing me at [email protected]



  92. aashutoshh on July 26, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    can u email me da answer ???



  93. Steven Miller on July 2, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Nope — the answer doesn’t have to do with the word strawberries; anything would work.



  94. Benny on July 2, 2011 at 5:57 am

    12 3 and 2? Considering there are 12 letters in strawberries



  95. Steven Miller on May 18, 2011 at 2:21 am

    Hint: there are two different triples that could work, but one of them has the largest number repeated while the other does not.



  96. Tera on May 17, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    I cannot even begin to figure this riddle out!!! Hint please?



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