document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1203740>Question 1203740</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 5.) The sum of the ages of Ace, Sabo, and Luffy is 27. Three years from now will be 4 times as old as Ace. IfL Uffy was twice as old as Ace 3 years ago, how old are they now? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #839567 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13203)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=839567\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Although there is a hole in your statement of the problem, logical reasoning leads to only one possible solution.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "But that solution is not very interesting; so probably the given information is not correct.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The given information tells us that Luffy was twice as old as Ace 3 years ago, and that ?? will be 4 times as old as Ace 3 years from now.  ?? can't be Luffy, because if he was only twice as old as Ace 3 years ago it is not possible for him to be 4 times as old 3 years from now.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "So ?? must be Sabo.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "So....<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Let x = Ace's age 3 years ago<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then 2x = Luffy's age 3 years ago<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then x+3 is Ace's age now and 2x+3 is Luffy's age now.  Since the sum of their ages is 27, Sabo's age now is 27-((x+3)+2x+3)) = 21-3x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Then Ace's age 3 years from now will be x+6, and Sabo's age 3 years from now will be 24-3x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 years from now, Sabo's age will be 4 times Ace's age:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "24-3x=4(x+6)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "24-3x=4x+24<BR>\n" );
document.write( "7x=0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x=0<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWERS (apparently...):<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Ace's age: x+3 = 3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Luffy's age: 2x+3 =3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Sabo's age: 21-3x = 21<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 years ago their ages were 0, 0, and 18<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 years from now their ages will be 6, 6, and 24 -- satisfying the condition that Sabo will be 4 times as old as Ace then.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );