Puzzle #161: How Do You Celebrate A Half Birthday? | New Scientist

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#161 Reduction deduction

“When exactly is a person supposed to celebrate their half birthday?” wondered Lionel. “I mean, you could celebrate your 182/365th birthday, or your 183/365th birthday, but unless it is a leap year, the 1/2 fraction never arrives.”

“The world’s greatest mystery,” said Jill.

“But the good news is that if you write every date as a fraction, so 1 January is 1/365 and 2 January is 2/365 and so on, then my birthday falls on a day where that fraction is reducible,” says Lionel.

“Reducible?”

“You know, can be simplified, like 12/18 can be reduced to 2/3. My birthday fraction can be reduced,…

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