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        riddles >> hard >> For the brain of Sherlock Holmes.
        
(Message started by: daemonturk on May 24^th, 2008, 8:04am)

Title: For the brain of Sherlock Holmes.
Post by daemonturk on May 24^th, 2008, 8:04am

What you are about to witness, is an extremely logical and deductive riddle that requires deep thought and meditation to solve. There is a logical and definite answer.

The three wisest sages in the land were brought before the king to see which of them were worthy to become the king's advisor. After passing many tests of cunning and invention, they were pitted against each other in a final battle of the wits.

Led blind-folded into a small room, the sages were seated around a small wooden table as the king described the test for them.

"Upon each of your heads I have placed a hat. Now you are either wearing a blue hat or a white hat. All I will tell you is this- at least one of you is wearing a blue hat. There may be only one blue hat and two white hats, there may be two blue hats and one white hat, or there may be three blue hats. But you may be certain that there are not three white hats."

"I will shortly remove your blind folds, and the test will begin. The first to correctly announce the colour of his hat shall be my advisor. Be warned however, he who guesses wrongly shall be beheaded. If not one of you answers within the hour, you will be sent home and I will seek elsewhere for wisdom."

With that, the king uncovered the sages' eyes and sat in the corner and waited. One sage looked around and saw that his competitors each were wearing blue hats. From the look in their eyes he could see their thoughts were the same as his, "What is the colour of my hat?"

For what seemed like hours no one spoke. Finally he stood up and said, "The colour of the hat I am wearing is . . ."

Title: Re: For the brain of Sherlock Holmes.
Post by FiBsTeR on May 24^th, 2008, 4:12pm

I'll assume you want us to finish his sentence.

[hide]"...blue." Call the sages A,B,C, where A is the sage that saw the two blue hats. If A's hat were white, then B would see a white and blue hat. B would then deduce that if his own hat were white, C would have seen two white hats and instantly declared his own blue hat. Since this did not happen, B would have then declared his own hat blue. This also did not happen, so A's hat is also blue. Of course, A is gambling on the fact that his opponents are smart enough to logic through the above, yet slower than himself in not coming to the same conclusion, since they are all, essentially, in the same position.[/hide]

And I think you are putting a bit too much hype to this problem...

Title: Re: For the brain of Sherlock Holmes.
Post by ThudanBlunder on May 24^th, 2008, 4:25pm

on 05/24/08 at 16:12:43, FiBsTeR wrote:

And I think you are putting a bit too much hype to this problem...

For the brain of Dr Watson then? :)