The Monkey Problem?

Question

In a plane crash there are 5 men stranded on a island.They spend the day collecting coconuts from the coconut trees. After collecting a pile they all go to sleep after deciding that the pile will be distributed the next day.

After an hour one of them gets worried about his share and quietly goes to the place where the coconuts are piled up, divides it equally finds that there is one coconut remaining, gives it to the monkey on the tree, takes his share and goes back to sleep.
After some time the second person also does the same ; the same trick is repeated by all turn by turn when each one divides the pile there is a remainder of one coconut which is given to the monkey.

In the morning every body gets up and finds the pile is smaller. But because each one of them is guilty no-one utters a word . they divide the shrunken pile and find that it is exactly divisible by 5.

they take their share and rest.

The Question is how many coconuts were in the original pile

Answer 1

Okay I got the answer 3121 from Scott, but I had a mathematical strategy.

I narrowed down the possibilities to all multiples of 5 times a number with numbers digit of 4 or 9 plus 1.

This is because to keep the chain of divide by 5 subtract 1 remainder going, we would start with a number x ending in either 4 or 6. We subtract x/5 and 1, so we are basically subtracting the whatever factor times 5 yields the closest muliple. The result from x-(x/5)-1 has to end in either 1 or 6, so that we have a multiple of 5 with remainder 1 and can keep the sequence going. Now if it ends in 1, the factor was even. Ends in 6, factor was odd. If factor was even, we need to subtract the factor plus one, an odd number, to get another number ending in either 1 or 6. If we subtract a number ending in 5, we get a number ending in 6. Therefore, if the factor is even it has to end in 4. And for numbers ending in 6, we have to subtract an even number (odd factor + 1)subtract a number ending in 0, so only factors ending in 9 work.

I was then testing every factor ending in 4 or 9. Take the factor, multiply by 5, add one, subtract (factor + 1), see if the new number minus one divided by 5 yields a factor ending in either 4 or 9.

I was up to 149 when I decided to refresh the page and saw the answer. Jeez I would've had to go up to 624. -.-;;

As it is, I only got a chain of 3 which didn't end in a multiple of 5.

So if I had continued testing throughout the night I would've gotten it. :)

Answer 2

both one in all them are in action and following a predetermines direction. The bullet and the Monkey are on a collision direction and the perfect result's that both bodies will collide in mid air. It makes no enormous difference even if it really is a bullet or a baseball, the best result's an same. both one in all them attain the impact factor because of their route and the forces utilized to each and each of them, It won't be able to be defined ffully in a actual sense, because the velocities were no longer favourite. for instance, the gap traveled and how intense the Monkey become previously he began to fall. The Acceleration of the Monkey become 16 ft in step with 2d in step with 2d, The dynamics of the bullet were unknown. Powder cost, bullet weight and high quality all enter into that pictrue.

Answer 3

3121

From the website:
"The smallest positive solution for case n=5 and m=1 is 3121 coconuts, "

Answer 4

3121

Answer 5

3121

Answer 6

3121

Answer 7

3121

Answer 8

21 i think i hope

Answer 9

Is it impossible?