Semaine Européenne
Math Contest
Answers

from ?
We chose to call x the salary of the two men when they started working.
This year, Smiths'salary equals (x+x/10)-1/10(x+x/10) and Jones's salary equals (x-x/10)-1/10(x-x/10).
Let's subtract Jones'salary from Smith's one:(x+x/10)-1/10(x+x/10) - (x-x/10)-1/10(x-x/10 = x + x/10 - x/10 - x/100 - x + x/10 - x/10 + x/100  =0
This shows that both salaries are equal, so now no one is making more than the other.

ula & eleonore

from Montargis
We called the initial sum of money that both John and Smith are paid monthly:
¨X¨. J=S=XWe calculate the changes after the first raise and drop
J= X +10%X = 110X = 110% = 11/10 X
S= X - 10%X = 90%X = 9/10 X
Finally we calculate the subsequent modifications:
J=11/10 X - 11/100 X = 99/100 X
S= 9/10 X + 9/100 X = 99/100 X
Answer: They are both making the same sum of money.

Students that participated: Alina Costache (Romania), Alice Le Moal (France), Cretu Cristina (Romania), Stephanie Murcia (France)

from ?
We think that both make the same money.
Both started with the same salary: 1
after the first year: Smith 1,1 times of this he got at the beginning
                            Jones 0,9 times of what he got at the beginning
after the second year: both get the same: 0,99 times of what thez got at the
very beginning.

Cya