Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/89 - The Seventeen Horses/Solution

by : $89$

 * The Seventeen Horses

Solution
In Seventeen Horses, this is analysed in some detail.

The telling point is:


 * The fact that the ratios do not add up to $1$ tells us straight away that those ratios are not in fact the actual fractions of the inheritance that each will receive.


 * It is noted that the question carefully does not state that one son receives $\dfrac 1 2$, the next son $\dfrac 1 3$ and the third $\dfrac 1 9$, because that is not what actually happens here.

This, effectively, is how himself answers the question.