   Ask Marilyn: Can You Solve This Classic Hotel Room Riddle?
Mike Kosko in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, writes:  Marilyn: Can you
please provide the math equation that will solve this riddle?
Three businessmen go to a hotel. The desk clerk tells them they
can have a special rate: $30 for sharing a room for one night.
They each take out $10, hand it to the clerk, and go to the
room. The clerk then realizes he made a mistake. The special
rate was $25 for the room. So he gives the bellman $5 in singles
and tells him to take it up to the guests. The bellman needs
money, so he keeps $2 for himself and gives each man $1,
instead. In effect, each guest has paid $9 (his original $10
minus the $1 he got back). So they each paid $9, a total of $27
for the three, plus $2 the bellman put in his pocket. That
equals $29. What happened to the other dollar?  Marilyn
responds:  No math equation applies because the logic is
incorrect. No dollar is missing. You added the amount the three
men no longer have ($27) to the amount the