Math Is Fun Forum

wintersolstice

Real Member

Registered: 2009-06-06

Posts: 128

Wrong answer to a puzzle?

I read a puzzle on the main page (under the logic puzzles) and I came up with an answer and a reasoning behind it, however when I checked the answer, it was wrong, today I attempted a brute force search to try and establish which answer was wrong (the answer on the site or my answer. and I still came to the same answer and can't find a flaw in it, also I have a question regarding the given answer

first here is the link

http://www.mathsisfun.com/puzzles/mrs-goodsworthys-hats.html

basically if my solution is wrong then I need to know:

1) whats the flaw in my reasoning? and
2) the other question that was in my hidden text

or is my solution right and the answer needs editing?

thanks

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Why did the chicken cross the Mobius Band?
To get to the other ...um...!!!

wintersolstice

Real Member

Registered: 2009-06-06

Posts: 128

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

I figured out whats wrong: (and its not me that wrong)

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Why did the chicken cross the Mobius Band?
To get to the other ...um...!!!

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,623

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

hi wintersolstice

Sorry you've had a wait for this.  I had other things to do and have only just got round to it.

I agree with you;

Hopefully someone else will have a go and confirm this.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,623

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Anyone else like to try this?

Please.

Pretty please.

Down on one knee please.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

phrontister

Real Member

From: The Land of Tomorrow

Registered: 2009-07-12

Posts: 4,880

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Hi wintersolstice and Bob;

I thought you'd never ask, Bob!

Btw, I have one of those, and below is a pic I took of it tonight. It's never worked for me, though!

And...I agree with both of you.

Nice puzzle!

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"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,623

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

hi Phro,

Thanks for confirming that answer.  Just need MIF to change the solution page now.

And thank you for the Tuit.  That's what's been missing all these years.  I shall print it off and frame it for later use. 

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

phrontister

Real Member

From: The Land of Tomorrow

Registered: 2009-07-12

Posts: 4,880

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Hi wintersolstice;

I really like your reasoning in post #2!

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"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Good work!

How would you like the solution worded? And credited?

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

phrontister

Real Member

From: The Land of Tomorrow

Registered: 2009-07-12

Posts: 4,880

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Hi MathsIsFun;

The colour in the solution should be changed to green, but other than that I like it as it is. Figuring out what Melanie knows is the solution key, which the wording says.

Of course, some people would be hoping for the solution to also reveal how Judith was able to figure out the colour of her hat. I'm not sure if the reasoning should be revealed, but if it were, here's an option (wintersolstice's, slightly adjusted):

About crediting, well, I don't really know, just that it would be nice for readers to see the activity, I suppose. So if you were to say something about that, wintersolstice should receive the credit for the discovery, and Bob & I could be mentioned as confirming it.

Btw, when reading "as shown below" in the puzzle I expected to see a diagram, but there isn't one and "one behind the other" might be better.

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"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

A Proposal

wintersolstice should receive the credit for the discovery, and Bob & I could be mentioned as confirming it.

I must strenuously disagree... I cite the example of the well known Pell equation which is of course named after John Pell. Now Brahmagupta, about 1000 years before John was born, solved it. There is evidence that the Pythagoreans solved some particular cases 1000 years before him and the the only reason that Pell got the credit is because Euler read Lord Brouncker's solution and mistakenly wrote Pell's name to it.

The math community till this day still calls it the Pell equation even though he had nothing to do with it and probably did not even know of its existence. Therefore my reasoning goes like this, I had nothing to do with the creation of this question, or its solutions and have never worked on it. This makes me by precedent, the only legal choice for receiving the credit.

If MIF will credit this to me then others will surely follow suit and credit me with all the remaining discoveries that I had nothing to do with... This will certainly simplify all the sciences. Thank you for your time.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Updated: Mrs Goodsworthys Hats Puzzle - Solution

Yes? No?

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Hi MIF;

Please change that to phrontister and bob bundy.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

phrontister

Real Member

From: The Land of Tomorrow

Registered: 2009-07-12

Posts: 4,880

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Hi MathsIsFun;

"bobbym" should read "bob bundy", but it looks fine otherwise.

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"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Y'all confuseded me.

Fixed.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

phrontister

Real Member

From: The Land of Tomorrow

Registered: 2009-07-12

Posts: 4,880

Re: Wrong answer to a puzzle?

Just as well that I didn't post the cryptic reply to Bobby's post #10 that I had intended to do right after his!

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"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson