MATH PROBLEMS FOR SAN FRANCISCO STUDENTS

1. Zelda and Jane were given a rottweiler at their
commitment ceremony. If their dog needs to be walked two
miles a day and they walk at a rate of 3/4 mile per hour,
how much time will they spend discussing their relationship
in public?

2. Michael has two abusive stepfathers and an alcoholic
mother. If his self-esteem is reduced by 20% per
dysfunctional parent, but Michael feels 3% better for every
person he denigrates, how long will it take before he's
ready to go home if 1 person walks by the cafe every 2
minutes?

3. Sanjeev has 7 piercings. If the likelihood of getting
cellulitis on a given day is 10% per piercing, what is the
likelihood Sanjeev will need to renew his erythromycin
prescription during the next week?

4. Chad wants to take half a pound of pot to Orinda and sell
it at a 20% profit. If it originally cost him $1,500 in food
stamps, how much should Nicole write the check for?

5. The City and County of San Francisco decide to destroy 50
rats infesting downtown. If 9,800 animal rights activists
hold a candlelight vigil, how many people did each dead rat
empower?

6. A red sock, a yellow sock, a blue sock, and a white sock
are tossed randomly in a drawer. What is the likelihood that
the first two drawn will be socks of color?

7. George weighs 245 pounds and drinks two triple lattes
every morning. If each shot of espresso contains 490mg of
caffeine, what is George's average caffeine density in
mg/pound?

8. There are 4500 homes in Mill Valley and all of them
recycle plastic. If each household recycles 10 soda bottles
a day and buys one polar fleece pullover per month, does
Mill Valley have a monthly plastic surplus or deficit? Bonus
question: Assuming all the plastic bottles are 1 liter size,
how much Evian are they drinking?

9. If the average person can eat one pork pot sticker in 30
seconds, and the waitress brings a platter of 12 pot
stickers, how long will it take five vegans to not eat them?

10. Todd begins walking down Market Street with 12
one-dollar bills in his wallet. If he always gives
panhandlers a single buck, how many legs did he have to step
over if he has $3 left when he reaches the other end, and
met only one double-amputee?

Advanced Placement Students Only:

11. Katie, Trip, Ling, John-John and Effie share a
three-bedroom apartment on Guerrero for $2400 a month. Effie
and Trip can share one bedroom, but the other three need
their own rooms with separate ISDN lines to run their web
servers. None of them wants to use the futon in the living
room as a bed, and they each want to save $650 in three
months to attend Burning Man.

What is their best option:
a. All five roommates accept a $12/hour job-share as handgun
monitors at Mission High.
b. Ask Miles, the bisexual auto mechanic, to share Effie and
Trip's bedroom for $500/month.
c. Petition the Board of Supervisors to advance Ling her
annual digital-artists-of-color stipend.
d. Rent strike.