Two shepherds, each with their own flocks, sit down to rest together under a tree. One says to the other, "Look! If you were to give me one of your sheep, we would then have the exact same amount!"

The other shepherd says, "Yes, but if you were to give me one of your sheep, I would then have twice as many as you!"

How many sheep did each shepherd originally have?

Six and four?I am dumb.

Snowy said:
7 and 5

Damn, you beat me to it. But I can be the first to explain it, right?

*brain catches on fire*

Both shepherds had i sheep.

Also, if you want to get extremely obtuse, both started with 0.

Damn, you beat me to it. But I can be the first to explain it, right?

Sure. I deliberately didn't explain it just to let you have that honor. Or because I don't want to do someone's homework for them (yes, I provided the answer, but math teachers want to see the work). Or because it's almost midnight and explanations are effort.

Pick whichever combination makes you happy.

Snowy said:
I don't want to do someone's homework for them

Oh, I've been out of school for quite a while now. It was just an old problem I remembered and thought I'd post here.

Halite said:
Both shepherds had i sheep.

Also, if you want to get extremely obtuse, both started with 0.

y = x = i
Yields the conclusion from the starting assumptions that -1=+1
via x - 1 = y + 1, where x and y are both i
That does not compute.

Although the idea that either x or y having i is interesting...
i is the imaginary number: (-1)^(1/2)
also known as square root of -1

mmm math is bad for you...

ragswift said:
y = x = i
Yields the conclusion from the starting assumptions that -1=+1
via x - 1 = y + 1, where x and y are both i
That does not compute.

Although the idea that either x or y having i is interesting...
i is the imaginary number: (-1)^(1/2)
also known as square root of -1

Eh, I'll just go with both having 0 sheep then.

ragswift said:

New problem

Two shepherds sit down under a tree and shepherd A says to B:
"Young shepherd, my bones are old and weary. If I give you but one sheep -- yonder," he says, pointing to a ewe that belongs to him, which the younger shepherd sees and nods.
The older shepherd continues: "If I gave you that sheep, your herd would have a count which would be that of mine to the 4th power. What a sorry day. Perhaps I should just retire."

Assume that at least one shepherd has a complex number of sheep.

How many sheep do the two shepherds have?

I suspect that the solution you have in mind is this: the young shepherd has 0 sheep (he appears to be a bit shit at shepherding), and the older shepherd has 1 + i sheep. If the old shepherd gives the young shepherd one sheep, the young shepherd has 1 sheep and the older shepherd has i sheep. i^4 = 1, so this works.

Snowy said:
I suspect that the solution you have in mind is this: the young shepherd has 0 sheep (he appears to be a bit shit at shepherding), and the older shepherd has 1 + i sheep. If the old shepherd gives the young shepherd one sheep, the young shepherd has 1 sheep and the older shepherd has i sheep. i^4 = 1, so this works.

Snowy, can we get married?

ragswift said:
Snowy, can we get married?

That escalated quickly.

ragswift said:
Snowy, can we get married?

Dat proposal

TheHuskyK9 said:
Dat proposal

Looks like Patchi isn't the only one. :3

Math is my eternal enemy.

ragswift said:
Snowy, can we get married?

Alas, we cannot, for I have given my heart to mathematics.