Imagine that you are an explorer . You have just landed on an island and you decide that eventually you would like to bring your friends and realatives there to live.You notice however there aren't any pigs on the island,and you all have exotic tastes: you and your friends and relatives simply adore pigs' feet. (Ok use your imagination here! Pigs' feet are considered a delicay by some,although frankly, I don't see it...) You decide to leave a male and a female pig on the island,go back and get your friends,and return and three years. These pigs will produce THREE LITTERS OF BABIES EACH YEAR (ONE EVERY FOUR MONTHS). There are ALWAYS TWO MALES AND TWO FEMALES IN EACH LITTER.
1) IF ALL THE FEMALES, NO MATTER HOW YOUNG OR HOW OLD, HAVE A LITTER (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE) EVERY FOUR MONTHS AND NO PIGS DIE, HOW MANY PIGS WILL BE ON YOUR ISLAND WHEN YOU RETURN? CAN YOU FIND ANY PATTERNS?
EXPLAIN YOUR STRATEGY AND REASOING PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2006-12-03 07:24:21 · 4 answers · asked by bsktballchik 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
So your pattern for pigs are as follows:
Month 0 - 1 male, 1 female
Month 4 - 3 males, 3 females (the pair had two males, two females)
Month 8 - 9 males, 9 females (three pairs, each having two males and two females)
Month 12 - 27 males, 27 females (9 pairs, each having two males and two females)
As you can see, the pattern is 3^n males and 3^n females, where n = months/4
Therefore, in 36 months, n = 9 and number of pigs will be 3^9 males (19683 males) and 3^9 females (19683 females) for a grand total of 39,336 pigs.
At four feet each, you will have plenty to eat!
2006-12-03 07:38:01 · answer #1 · answered by sep_n 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Start with 2 pigs, one male and one female.
I will make a chart showing the population after every four months:
M..........F..........T
1...........1..........2
3...........3..........6
9...........9........18
27........27........54
And so on. Every four months, when the litters are born, they triple the male, female, and total populations (because for every femal there is a male, and each pair of pigs produces two females and two males). Therefore, after a certain number N of four-month periods, there will be 2*3^n pigs. Three years is nine four-month periods, so there are 2*3^9 pigs. That's 39366 pigs. Think that'll be enough?
2006-12-03 07:34:42 · answer #2 · answered by Amy F 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Figure out 36 multiplyed by 4 and you have your answer
2006-12-03 07:27:12 · answer #3 · answered by Funny4545 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It seems you need help with English too. : )
2006-12-03 07:33:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋