|
|
Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
|
posted November 12, 2008 02:59 AM |
|
Edited by Corribus at 03:10, 12 Nov 2008.
|
My birthday is Nov. 11 - today!
Just fyi, the birthday problem is a well known problem in statistics. You can find a very detailed solutionhere.
Are we ready for another problem? (btw I should say, if you have heard a given problem before, wait a bit before answering so as not to spoil the fun for others).
Two men have the following conversation.
John: Hi Matt. How are your three kids? I forgot what their ages are.
Matt: Hi John. Don't you remember? The product of their ages is 36.
John: I still don't remember.
Matt: The sum of their ages is the same as my house number.
John: I still can't remember!
Matt: The oldest one has red hair.
John: Ah, right. I remember now!
How old are Matt's kids?
____________
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
|
|
Nikita
Famous Hero
Meepo is underrated
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 03:35 AM |
|
|
Quote:
My birthday is Nov. 11 - today!
Happy Bithday!!!
All that i have understood about that is:
xyz=36
x+y+z=house#
where xyz=children
|
|
Lord_Pc
Promising
Famous Hero
Groin-Grabingly Clever
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 05:25 AM |
|
|
36 into factors is 2, 2, 3, 3
I cant see how the house number will make an impact unless we know if the guy lives on the odd or even side of the street. So I'll just say 2, 3, 6.
____________
Da-da-dada-HEY-dada-da-da
Two goldfish were in their tank. One turns to the other and says, 'You man the guns, I'll drive.'
|
|
JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 08:28 AM |
|
|
@Corribus
Weirdly enough my daughter's birthday is 11/11 as well.
For the problem at hand ONE is possible as well, obviously, and while there is an oldest, the youngest might be twins allright.
So we have a lot of possibilities.
1, 1 and 36 is unlikely, but 1, 2 and 18 would be as possible as 2, 2 and 9 or 1, 4 and 9
|
|
Lord_Pc
Promising
Famous Hero
Groin-Grabingly Clever
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 09:01 AM |
|
|
Quote:
@Corribus
Weirdly enough my daughter's birthday is 11/11 as well.
For the problem at hand ONE is possible as well, obviously, and while there is an oldest, the youngest might be twins allright.
So we have a lot of possibilities.
1, 1 and 36 is unlikely, but 1, 2 and 18 would be as possible as 2, 2 and 9 or 1, 4 and 9
Well, AFAIK twins come out one at a time, so one would be older than the other. Therefore it could be 6, 6, and 1 too.
____________
Da-da-dada-HEY-dada-da-da
Two goldfish were in their tank. One turns to the other and says, 'You man the guns, I'll drive.'
|
|
alcibiades
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
of Gold Dragons
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 09:11 AM |
|
|
I got two further clues from the informations, but oddly, they seem to contradict each other.
The fact that he only mentions the oldest might indicate that the two younger were indeed twins. This would opt for either 2, 2, 9 or 1, 1, 36, where the latter still seems unlikely.
The fact that the sum equals their house number, however, could rule out option 2, 2, 9, because in some countries, the number 13 is considered ill faith, and therefore this number is excluded from numbering (i.e. numbers go 9-11-15).
Humm.
3, 3, 4 would also be an option.
____________
What will happen now?
|
|
JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 09:16 AM |
|
|
Hey, that's good reasoning!
I'd support that. Would never have thought about 13 being no house number, since in my country we have it. 
|
|
Lord_Pc
Promising
Famous Hero
Groin-Grabingly Clever
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 11:40 AM |
|
|
Adding all combinations gives
1 1 36 = 38
1 2 18 = 21
1 3 12 = 16
2 2 9 = 13
3 3 4 = 10
1 4 9 = 14
1 6 6 = 13
2 3 6 = 11
Any other possibilities?
Now they dont add to 13 because it is an unlucky number in some places so
1 1 36 = 38
1 2 18 = 21
1 3 12 = 16
2 2 9 = 13
3 3 4 = 10
1 4 9 = 14
1 6 6 = 13
2 3 6 = 11
And the oldest remark implies that twins may be involved, but that the oldest is not a twin. So:
1 1 36 = 38
1 2 18 = 21
1 3 12 = 16
2 2 9 = 13
3 3 4 = 10
1 4 9 = 14
1 6 6 = 13
2 3 6 = 11
So from that, 1, 1, 36 is quite ridiculous on the basis of rationality and the assumption that these two people are humans and not those turtles that can live for over a 100 years
So I retract my other guess, now I'm going to say they are 3, 3, 4.
____________
Da-da-dada-HEY-dada-da-da
Two goldfish were in their tank. One turns to the other and says, 'You man the guns, I'll drive.'
|
|
Ecoris
Promising
Supreme Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 12:52 PM |
|
|
Quote:
And the oldest remark implies that twins may be involved, but that the oldest is not a twin.
To be precise: That John remembers their ages after being told "The oldest one has red hair" (combined with the other information) indicates that the other two must be twins. The comment "The oldest one has red hair" alone does not tell this.
____________
|
|
Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 04:55 PM |
|
Edited by Corribus at 16:58, 12 Nov 2008.
|
Well, nobody who has guessed a single answer has gotten it yet.
I like JJ's thinking about twins, where one is technically older than the other! But for the problem we'll pretend twins are exactly the same age.
I think the one that hangs most people up is the second "clue". It hung me up for a while as well because I was considering it's meaning too directly.
Here's a hint:
The third response by Matt provides more than one clue.
EDIT: And where Matt and John live, 13 is not an unlucky number.  You don't have to use any sociological reasoning to figure this out.
____________
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
|
|
Lexxan
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Unimpressed by your logic
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 05:02 PM |
|
Edited by Lexxan at 17:08, 12 Nov 2008.
|
I would say they are 4, 3 and 3 years old.
Because John first failed to know which one is older than the other. Assuming that there are two twins, Matt wouldn't have needed John's remakr about the red hair if the answer was 9,2,2 or 18,1,1. He would have known which one would have been the oldest already, without the hair reminder.
If he didn't see them for ages, needing a reminder for Hair colour, it suggests four things:
A) The younngest two are twins
B) He saw all three as babies or toddlers
C) The ages of the Children are close to eachother
D) They were babies or Toddlers only a few years ago
the only answer that can confirm A, B, C and D is 4,3,3.
____________
Coincidence? I think not!!!!
|
|
Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 05:18 PM |
|
|
In part of your explanation, you're thinking the correct way, but ultimately: no, not the right answer.
____________
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
|
|
JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 05:25 PM |
|
|
Ok, here go, I think I got it now.
The first hint is the product of 36. I copy Lord_Pc's table with his kind permission to show the results:
Quote:
Adding all combinations gives
1 1 36 = 38
1 2 18 = 21
1 3 12 = 16
2 2 9 = 13
3 3 4 = 10
1 4 9 = 14
1 6 6 = 13
2 3 6 = 11
Now, the second hint, about the sum of them, can only mean that while he knows the house number, he STILL not know the ages, which means this can be only because it's still not clear.
Now, the only sum we see two times there is 13 (LoL), for 2 2 9 and 1 6 6.
The third hint shows, the oldest has red hair which means there is ONE oldest kid, which leaves exactly ONE combination, which is:
2 2 9
Sorry, it took so long.
|
|
Asheera
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Elite Assassin
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 05:56 PM |
|
|
Ah ok I finally get it, thanks JJ.
____________
|
|
JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 06:21 PM |
|
|
Question for all:
I used to make puzzles for a German gaming magazine some time ago, involving the 3 games:
a) Sleuth (searching for a missing gem(s) from clues)
b) Code 777 (which is an Egghead variant with numbers)
c) Mastermind (5 slots/8 colors)
In case anyone is interested I could start posting them, maybe under another thread.
What about it?
|
|
Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 06:28 PM |
|
Edited by Corribus at 18:28, 12 Nov 2008.
|
We have a winner!! Well done, JJ!
(Edit: Sure, I for one love puzzles! If they're not math related, maybe in a new thread.)
____________
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
|
|
JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 06:51 PM |
|
|
Well, they are logic related, obviously.
With Sleuth you must find one or more missing cards out of 36 by examining the informations you have about the cards the other players have revealed about theirs.
With Code 777 you must find out what cards YOU do hold (you cannot see them, only the cards or the others), by combining the info you get from others with what you see.
With Mastermind, well, you know Mastermind, do you? With Mastermind you'll get a set of color codes and the respective black and white flags belonging to them wih the goal of finding the right combination.
|
|
Celfious
Promising
Legendary Hero
From earth
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 07:07 PM |
|
|
(6 _ 2) _ 8 _ 9 _ 1 = 13
(Replace _'s with + - / or x)
I just did this for a game it was fun, had only one chance to solve it or the terminal blew up thus destroying the treasure. It's pretty easy though once you figure out how simple it is.
____________
All things are possible with God.
Nothing is possible without God.
|
|
JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 07:15 PM |
|
|
|
*Moved to its own thread*
|
|
alcibiades
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
of Gold Dragons
|
|
posted November 12, 2008 07:16 PM |
|
|
Excellent reasoning JJ!  Ironically, while I thought my reasoning about the number 13 was rather clever, it led me down the exact wrong path.
____________
What will happen now?
|
|
|
|
This thread is pages long: 
