Flaw in Burne's first puzzle -SPOILER

Discussion in 'The Temple of Elemental Evil' started by Aeroldoth, Nov 13, 2006.

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  1. Aeroldoth

    Aeroldoth Established Member

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    I have just discovered that Burne has puzzles, and so I readily agreed to try them. His first puzzle involves the banners, three white and two black. However, the answer that Burne says is correct, isn't.

    Looking in the readme, it says that Zhuge wrote the puzzles for Co8 3.0.4, and checking here, he hasn't been present since Jan. '05. I don't want to post spoilers here, yet since the original author isn't around, I don't know what to do.

    Should I just explain why the puzzle is wrong, or would someone here rather I PM them with my explanation?
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2006
  2. ShadowDragoon

    ShadowDragoon Advocate of Vengence

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    Re: Flaw in Burne's first puzzle

    Okay, was the answer itself wrong, or is the reasoning behind it flawed?
     
  3. Aeroldoth

    Aeroldoth Established Member

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    Re: Flaw in Burne's first puzzle

    Both.

    The logic is flawed, leading to an incorrect answer.
     
  4. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    Re: Flaw in Burne's first puzzle

    I'd say feel free to discuss it openly, but add a
    notice to the thread title. It's been discussed pretty openly before, with similar allegations.
     
  5. Aeroldoth

    Aeroldoth Established Member

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    Re: Flaw in Burne's first puzzle

    I didn't know I could change thread titles... done.

    There are three white banners and two black. Three knights each have a random banner attached with the other two banners tossed and are then blindfolded. Knight A is allowed to look at the other two and guess at his own. He can't figure it out. Knight B looks and also can't guess. Knight C isn't given a chance to look and must state what color his is.

    The answer the game gives is that he states his banner is white. There are seven possible situations:

    1) W B B
    2) B W B
    3) B B W
    4) B W W
    5) W B W
    6) W W B
    7) W W W

    A looks and cannot tell his banner. Thus we know the situation isn't #1, since if the other two wore black, he would know his was white. B looks and also can't tell, so we know it's not #2, for the same reason. The riddler then states that C must be wearing white. While this is true in most of the other answers, it is not true for #6. Our third knight COULD be wearing black, and so it is not 100% certain he has white.
     
  6. ShadowDragoon

    ShadowDragoon Advocate of Vengence

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    Re: Flaw in Burne's first puzzle

    Uhm...excuse me if I'm wrong...but wasn't it...

    Knight A can't see anybody else. Knight B can only see Knight A, and Knight C can see both A and B? That would change your reasoning a good bit.
     
  7. Featuri

    Featuri Maze illusionist

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    Re: Flaw in Burne's first puzzle

    I think that choice #2 and #6 are not possible, or else the 2nd knight would have known he has a white banner. There's no flaw in this puzzle.

    1st knight eliminates #1 choice. 2nd knight eliminates choices #2 and #6. 3rd Knight correctly deducted white.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2006
  8. Aeroldoth

    Aeroldoth Established Member

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    Shadow, you are correct. It seems I somehow misread the question... twice. And the answer.

    :shy: :shy: :shy: :blush: :blush: :blush:

    I guess it was all the er, uh, alcohol I was drinking. Yeah, that's it. :drunk:

    Now uh, go back to whatever you were doing. Nothing to see here. Read along. :paper:
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2006
  9. mrbunnyban

    mrbunnyban Member

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    Hee. I knew the first one, solved it myself. It's the second one that got me. I had to resort to using the patented reload game method to check the answer. Couldn't believe the answer was right until I tried mapping it out myself. @.@
     
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