History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c8.s13.89

v1.c8.s13.89

(4) According to an agreement three merchants carried out the operations of buying and selling. The capital of the first consisted of six *purâṇa*, that of the second of eight *purâṇa*, but that of the third was unknown. The profit obtained by these men was 96 *purâṇa*. In fact the profit obtained by him (the third person) on his unknown capital happened to be 40 *purâṇa*. What was the amount thrown by him into the transaction and what was the profit of each of the other two merchants?²