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[Math Puzzle] num15

Blogs > evanthebouncy!
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evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-09 04:19:12
November 09 2009 04:07 GMT
#1
So I got a new fun one from friend. Again, try your best, post answer in spoilers, and have fun!

I think most people probably can't wait too long to see the final answer so I'll just put the answer in spoiler of the day, as I don't have much time as before where I could post puzzle for a day, wait for answers, and post right answer the next day...

Question:
There are 3 people, one is blind.
There are 2 white hats, 3 black hats.
I put 3 of those hats on the 3 people. Each person can see other two's hat color but not his own, blind person cannot see anything.
They want to guess their own hat color
There is a long silence then, the blind person says "I know my own hat color"

How?

+ Show Spoiler [answer] +

+ Show Spoiler [u sure? it'll spoil all the fun] +

Blind person is wearing black hat, here's why:
Let's call the 3 people p1,p2,b.

If b=white, then 2 cases:
b = white, p1 = white, p2 = black (1)
b = white, p1 = black, p2 = black (2)
b = white, p1 = black, p2 = white (symmetric to 1)

In case 1, p2 will see 2 white, and say that he himself is black.
In case 2, p1 will see a white and a black, and not know his own color and remain quiet. However, p2, noticing that p1 is quiet, will reason:
If I am wearing white, then p1 would've said something as in case 1. Since p1 is quiet, I must be wearing black.
Therefore p2 will say that he himself is black.

Therefore the blind person cannot be wearing white.
Therefore he must wear black



*
Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
betaben
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
681 Posts
November 09 2009 04:12 GMT
#2
you need to include the fact that they need to guess their own hat colour. at the moment, you give them the hats and they do not need to guess anything.
dcberkeley
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada844 Posts
November 09 2009 04:13 GMT
#3
+ Show Spoiler +
I think in the question it should say that the people do say something if they know their own hat colour. And it's not really a math puzzle, it's more like a logic puzzle.
Moktira is da bomb
randombum
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States2378 Posts
November 09 2009 04:13 GMT
#4
It would help if you explained the people want to say their own hat color.
evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
November 09 2009 04:19 GMT
#5
On November 09 2009 13:12 betaben wrote:
you need to include the fact that they need to guess their own hat colour. at the moment, you give them the hats and they do not need to guess anything.

thx, added.
Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
qrs
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States3637 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-09 04:22:12
November 09 2009 04:21 GMT
#6
Well, assuming that the men have some reason to announce their hat colors, he might reason
+ Show Spoiler +

1. If either sighted man sees two white hats, he will know his own hat is black. Therefore, the blind man's hat is black or both sighted men's hats are black.
2. If the blind man's hat is white, both sighted men's hats must be black. Therefore, since each sighted man can go through the same reasoning: "If both my hat and the blind man's hat are white, the other man would know his is black. Since he hasn't said anything, my hat must be black," but in fact, neither has figured this out, the blind man knows his hat must be black, thus giving the other men no useful information.

edit: problem was corrected as I typed
'As per the American Heart Association, the beat of the Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive" provides an ideal rhythm in terms of beats per minute to use for hands-only CPR. One can also hum Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust".' —Wikipedia
numLoCK
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Canada1416 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-09 04:27:53
November 09 2009 04:26 GMT
#7
+ Show Spoiler +

If he and one other are white then the remaining person would be able to determine themselves as a black hat.
If he was the only white hat, one of the other two would be able to determine themselves as a black hat. This is because they would realize that the other could not determine himself as a black hat following the above, so the other person must not see two white hats.
Therefore he realizes that if he has a white hat, one of the other two can solve the problem. Because they cannot solve it, he must have a black hat.
alffla
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Hong Kong20321 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-09 05:03:30
November 09 2009 05:00 GMT
#8
is it this

+ Show Spoiler +


the room is pretty damn dark and if everyone was wearing black hats no one would've been able to see anythnig and thus the long silence.

so thus the blind person is also wearing a black hat
Graphicssavior[gm] : What is a “yawn” rape ;; Masumune - It was the year of the pig for those fucking defilers. Chill - A clinic you say? okum: SC without Korean yelling is like porn without sex. konamix: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!
alffla
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Hong Kong20321 Posts
November 09 2009 05:03 GMT
#9
your answer sucks
Graphicssavior[gm] : What is a “yawn” rape ;; Masumune - It was the year of the pig for those fucking defilers. Chill - A clinic you say? okum: SC without Korean yelling is like porn without sex. konamix: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!
numLoCK
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Canada1416 Posts
November 09 2009 05:03 GMT
#10
On November 09 2009 14:00 alffla wrote:
is it this

+ Show Spoiler +


the room is pretty damn dark and if everyone was wearing black hats no one would've been able to see anythnig and thus the long silence.



no.
meeple
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
Canada10211 Posts
November 09 2009 05:04 GMT
#11
Lol... the question is poorly phrased. It's less of a math problem, and more of a Mensa brainteaser. Like a guy in a scuba suit is found in a forest, how does he get there?
alffla
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Hong Kong20321 Posts
November 09 2009 05:04 GMT
#12
On November 09 2009 14:04 meeple wrote:
Lol... the question is poorly phrased. It's less of a math problem, and more of a Mensa brainteaser. Like a guy in a scuba suit is found in a forest, how does he get there?


puts on a scuba suit and walks to a forest???
Graphicssavior[gm] : What is a “yawn” rape ;; Masumune - It was the year of the pig for those fucking defilers. Chill - A clinic you say? okum: SC without Korean yelling is like porn without sex. konamix: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!
DivinO
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States4796 Posts
November 09 2009 05:10 GMT
#13
Question was cool. Nice puzzle, thanks evan!
LiquipediaBrain in my filth.
arcology
Profile Joined April 2009
United States92 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-09 05:21:59
November 09 2009 05:18 GMT
#14
+ Show Spoiler +
No, in case 2, p2 was actually suspicious that p1 was trying to trick him by remaining quiet, and so he remained quiet himself. Therefore the blind guy wouldn't know his color.

Sure you can add depth to the problem to give an answer, but then you can add even more depth to make that answer invalid.
Kwidowmaker
Profile Blog Joined October 2007
Canada978 Posts
November 09 2009 05:25 GMT
#15
On November 09 2009 13:13 dcberkeley wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
I think in the question it should say that the people do say something if they know their own hat colour. And it's not really a math puzzle, it's more like a logic puzzle.


Math is logic.

I mean numbers are made of empty sets, come on.
Kk.
meeple
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
Canada10211 Posts
November 09 2009 05:31 GMT
#16
On November 09 2009 14:04 alffla wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 09 2009 14:04 meeple wrote:
Lol... the question is poorly phrased. It's less of a math problem, and more of a Mensa brainteaser. Like a guy in a scuba suit is found in a forest, how does he get there?


puts on a scuba suit and walks to a forest???



Nope sorry, his name is aquaman and he's an action figure that a little kid was playing with while camping. Good try though
evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
November 09 2009 05:43 GMT
#17
On November 09 2009 14:10 El.Divino wrote:
Question was cool. Nice puzzle, thanks evan!

no problem :3
Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
251
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States1401 Posts
November 09 2009 06:00 GMT
#18
yeah question needs to be reworded to say "if a person knows his hat color then he will say something," I didn't get the long silence part as part of the problem. I deduced black and was right for the wrong reason.
"If you can chill..........then chill."
onewingedmoogle
Profile Joined June 2009
Canada434 Posts
November 09 2009 06:33 GMT
#19
i didnt know they would say their own hat color if they knew it.....
Pawsom
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States928 Posts
November 09 2009 06:33 GMT
#20
On November 09 2009 14:00 alffla wrote:
is it this

+ Show Spoiler +


the room is pretty damn dark and if everyone was wearing black hats no one would've been able to see anythnig and thus the long silence.

so thus the blind person is also wearing a black hat


I solved it using trivial logic initially, but I find this solution much more clever
igotmyown
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States4291 Posts
November 09 2009 06:48 GMT
#21
This is pretty much the same problem as what was posted recently. Different conditions but almost the almost identical deductions, you can do better than that...
evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
November 09 2009 06:52 GMT
#22
On November 09 2009 15:48 igotmyown wrote:
This is pretty much the same problem as what was posted recently. Different conditions but almost the almost identical deductions, you can do better than that...

link me
Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
igotmyown
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States4291 Posts
November 09 2009 07:00 GMT
#23
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=104760
[image loading]
evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
November 09 2009 07:06 GMT
#24
On November 09 2009 16:00 igotmyown wrote:
http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=104760
[image loading]

I see. You can't expect me to know every blog in existence and command me to "do better than that" though :p

I got tons of other puzzles, just stay in tuned!
Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
JeeJee
Profile Blog Joined July 2003
Canada5652 Posts
November 09 2009 23:40 GMT
#25
just saw this thread
these questions are not really a puzzle, they kind of solve themselves.. but anyway

here's my thought process
+ Show Spoiler +
i'ma call em s1 s2 B (non-blind dude 1, nonblind-dude 2, blind dude) in that order

so what can we have? let's just go thru the possibilities

BWW
WBW
WWB

BBW
BWB
WBB

BBB


we can't obviously have a BWW or a WBW situation cos then s1 or s2 will instantly know they're B
so we're down to..
WWB
BBW
BWB
WBB
BBB

so.. hmm gets interesting

S1:W sees WB, S2:W sees WB
S1:B sees BW, S2:B sees BW
S1:B sees WB, S2:W sees BB
S1:W sees BB, S2:B sees WB
S1:B sees BB, S2:B sees BB

Now we can also see we can't have the second situation, because if they see a BW situation, they'd auto-know they were B
we're down to..

S1:W sees WB, S2:W sees WB
S1:B sees WB, S2:W sees BB
S1:W sees BB, S2:B sees WB
S1:B sees BB, S2:B sees BB

now they can't figure shit out
so the blind dude comes in, does this thinking somehow, and figures out "holy shit, i must have a black hat"
(\o/)  If you want it, you find a way. Otherwise you find excuses. No exceptions.
 /_\   aka Shinbi (requesting a name change since 27/05/09 ☺)
gyth
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
657 Posts
November 10 2009 03:05 GMT
#26
Oh noes, I'm dumber than the blind person assumes everyone is =_=

And in the other problem. What if D saw 2 white, didn't trust the guards and just wanted to live 9 more minutes...
The plural of anecdote is not data.
category
Profile Joined July 2009
United States85 Posts
November 10 2009 03:55 GMT
#27
On November 09 2009 14:25 Kwidowmaker wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 09 2009 13:13 dcberkeley wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +
I think in the question it should say that the people do say something if they know their own hat colour. And it's not really a math puzzle, it's more like a logic puzzle.


Math is logic.

I mean numbers are made of empty sets, come on.


Yeah this is so right =D.
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