23년 6월 17일

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This problem is a small stakes version of a real negotiation. Two couples were each looking for an apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On their own, one was looking to buy a two-bedroom apartment for $600,000, and the other was looking to buy a three-bedroom apartment for $800,000. (I've rounded the numbers.)

 

As the two couples were friends, they considered buying a two-family home together. They soon found a house they both liked for $1.2 million. One half was two bedrooms, and the other half was three bedrooms. Everyone was happy. But they had to figure out how to split the purchase price.

 

One option was to use the ratio of bedrooms, 3:2, or the ratio of the square footage, which was about 5:4. Another was the ratio of what would have been their separate purchases, or 4:3. After thinking about the ideas here, they agreed to split the gains evenly. Buying the two-family home created a $200,000 savings or pie. Neither couple could get this savings without the other. Thus the two-bedroom half was charged $500,000, and the three-bedroom half was charged $700,000. So, the ratio was 7:5.

 

Of course, it is hardly worth your while to negotiate over how to split trivial items such as a 32-oz. water bottle. But if you get the principle down and start seeing the world this way, you can apply this same approach when the stakes really matter.