一道名为"Ann多大了？"的数学谜题在1903年4月21日首次发表于《纽约晚报》，作者为罗伯特·D·汤恩，署名"Perkin Warbeck"[1]。这道谜题以其精妙的逻辑设计在当时的美国掀起风潮，其原文为："Mary is 24 years old. She is twice as old as Ann was when Mary was as old as Ann is now. How old is Ann?"[1]
这一数学谜题迅速引发广泛关注，各类媒体刊登了人们的多种解答，其中包括Ann为12岁、16岁、19岁和63岁等不同答案[1]。谜题的流行还衍生出了歌曲、剧目和诗歌等多种创意作品[1]。到1903年底，这股热潮开始消退，一则广告甚至幽默地宣称"How Old Is Ann?"已经失踪十天[1]。
这道谜题的影响力持久深远。直至1924年11月17日，《纽约时报》刊登评论将其与当时流行的填字游戏热潮进行对比[1]。谜题创作者罗伯特·D·汤恩于1952年3月3日去世，其讣告被刊登在《时代杂志》上[1]。
A mathematical riddle published in the New York Evening Post on April 21, 1903, became a nationwide sensation in the early 20th century [1]. Created by Robert D. Towne under the pen name "Perkin Warbeck," the puzzle posed a deceptively simple question: "Mary is 24 years old. She is twice as old as Ann was when Mary was as old as Ann is now. How old is Ann?" [1]
The puzzle sparked widespread engagement across the country, generating numerous responses and creative derivatives including songs, theatrical pieces, and poetry [1]. However, the phenomenon proved short-lived. By December 21, 1903, the craze had largely subsided, with advertisements joking that "How Old Is Ann?" had gone missing for ten days [1]. The New York Times later drew a comparison between this puzzle and the crossword puzzle craze when revisiting the phenomenon on November 17, 1924 [1]. Multiple proposed solutions emerged, ranging from answers of 12, 16, 19, and 63 years old [1]. Robert D. Towne, the puzzle's creator, lived until March 3, 1952, when his obituary was published in Time magazine [1].