conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Carmen goes to an auction to win an antique desk. She accepts the opening bid of $200 and continues bidding until she wins. The bids on the desk rise by $50 each time and 3 other people each bid once. Carmen bids after each of the 3 other people and eventually wins. How much money, in dollars, does the desk cost her?
  Give me a solution to this problem
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: 3 other people are bidding on the desk so there are 3 bids * $50 per bid = $150 added to the cost of the desk by other people.
  Carmen also has to bid against each person, so she also adds 3 bids * $50 per bid = $150 to the overall cost.
  So in these bids, there has been a total of $150 + $150 = $300 added to the initial cost of the desk.
  The desk therefore costs $200 opening bid + $300 added cost = $500.