After the local BrainBashers Horse Show, some friends were telling everyone who had won.
Unfortunately, the friends were having trouble remembering, and in the course of the afternoon, they changed their minds a number of times.
In summary, they made the following statements:
Andy said: Taylor Tripton won with Evening Sunrise. Alex Ambleton won with Morning Sunset. Frankie Flanton won with Evening Sunrise. Billie said: Sam Spinton won with Midday Night. Frankie Flanton won with Evening Sunrise. Taylor Tripton won with Morning Sunset. Chris said: Alex Ambleton won with Midday Night. Sam Spinton won with Midday Night. Sam Spinton won with Morning Sunset. Dale said: Alex Ambleton won with Evening Sunrise. Frankie Flanton won with Morning Sunset. Sam Spinton won with Midday Night.
However, none of the statements were fully true.
In fact, just six of the statements were exactly half true (either the person won, or the horse did), the rest were false.
Can you determine who won, and which horse they were showing?
Reasoning
Before we begin the reasoning, let's look at the hint: 'Could Alex Ambleton have won?'. There are three horses in the puzzle, and Alex Ambleton is stated to have won with all three of them. We know that none of the statements were fully true, so Alex couldn't have won otherwise one of the statements would have been fully true.
However, we don't need the hint to solve the puzzle.
By grouping the clues together, we have:
1. Frankie Flanton won with Morning Sunset.
2. Frankie Flanton won with Evening Sunrise.
3. Frankie Flanton won with Evening Sunrise.
4. Sam Spinton won with Midday Night.
5. Sam Spinton won with Midday Night.
6. Sam Spinton won with Midday Night.
7. Sam Spinton won with Morning Sunset.
8. Taylor Tripton won with Morning Sunset.
9. Taylor Tripton won with Evening Sunrise.
10. Alex Ambleton won with Midday Night.
11. Alex Ambleton won with Morning Sunset.
12. Alex Ambleton won with Evening Sunrise.
We know that none of these statements were fully true, so, we know that (for example) it wasn't Frankie Flanton with Morning Sunset.
We can create a grid of all the possibilities and place an X where we know that it can't have been that combination:
M-N
M-S
E-S
Frankie
X
X
Sam
X
X
Taylor
X
X
Alex
X
X
X
We now have an X for all but 3 possibilities, and we know that exactly 6 of the clues must be half true.
So …
… if it was Frankie Flanton with Midday Night then exactly 7 clues would be half true (clues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10).
… if it was Sam Spinton with Evening Sunrise then exactly 8 clues would be half true (clues 4, 5, 6, 7, 2, 3, 9, 12).
… if it was Taylor Tripton with Midday Night then exactly 6 clues would be half true (clues 8, 9, 4, 5, 6, 10), and this must be the correct answer.
??
Puzzle 6
Using all of the letters A to Z, each once only, complete these common words. ban--a-i-et-aiz-s--thna-e--eco--ocu--la-e--nkf-xbe--ree-ui-ot-erwis--oast
You find yourself playing a game with your friend.
It is played with a deck of only 16 cards, divided into 4 suits:
Red, Blue, Orange, and Green.
There are four cards in each suit:
Ace, King, Queen, and Jack.
All Aces outrank all Kings, which outrank all Queens, which outrank all Jacks, except for the Green Jack, which outranks every other card.
If two cards have the same face value, then Red outranks Blue, which outranks Orange, which outranks Green, again except for the Green Jack, which outranks everything.
Here's how the game is played: you are dealt one card face up, and your friend is dealt one card face down. Your friend then makes some true statements, and you have to work out who has the higher card, you or your friend. It's that simple!
Round 2:
You are dealt the Blue King and your friend makes three statements:
My card would beat a Green King. Knowing this, if my card is more likely to be a Jack than a Queen, then my card is actually a King. Otherwise, it isn't. Given all of the information you now know, if my card is more likely to beat yours than not, then my card is Red card. Otherwise, it isn't.
Who has the higher card, you or your friend?
Hint
List all of the cards, and then eliminate some using (1).
Answer
You.
Reasoning
You were dealt the Blue King.
The possible cards, in order, are:
Green Jack
Red Ace
Blue Ace
Orange Ace
Green Ace
Red King
Blue King (your card)
Orange King
Green King
Red Queen
Blue Queen
Orange Queen
Green Queen
Red Jack
Blue Jack
Orange Jack
By (1), your friend's card is higher than the Green King, so your friend can only have one of the following cards:
Green Jack
Red Ace
Blue Ace
Orange Ace
Green Ace
Red King
Blue King (your card)
Orange King
By (2), their card is more likely to be a Jack (1) than a Queen (0), so their card is a King. Leaving:
Red King
Blue King (your card)
Orange King
By (3), only 1 could beat your card, so it is not more likely to beat yours, therefore their card is not Red. Leaving:
Blue King (your card)
Orange King
So your friend must have the Orange King, which your card beats.
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