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Case Number IV

Posted: February 26th, 2009, 5:03 pm
by Sayumi
I actually wrote the story for this one myself, but the basic problem is quite a famous (and simple) one, so some of you might know it. Well, I tried to make it Conan related. Have fun  ;D

Case IV
Ran was taken as a hostage by a couple of bank robbers and is now at their hideout. Conan is aware of the fact that the criminals have gotten into trouble with the Black Organization some months ago and were used as experimental subjects for a new version of APTX but were released after the chemical seemed to have no obvious effect, to observe the long-term consequences. Thanks to FBI information Conan knows that because of the experiments of the BO one of the bank robbers can only tell the truth while the other one always lies but he doesn't know who is who.

Conan now comes into a room where both of the men are already waiting for him. There also are two doors leaving the room. He knows that each of the rooms belongs to one of the men and that Ran is in the room of the man who never lies and that there is some kind of trap in the other room. Conan knows he'll only have enough time to ask one question before the police will arrive and the men will panic and try to run away (they are not very brave   ;) ). How can Conan find out with just one question in which of the rooms Ran is?

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 26th, 2009, 5:30 pm
by Holmes
Not sure enough but probably:
Spoiler:
Ask one of the men: "Which is the door the other one will point if I ask him which is the door Ran is?" and take the other door.

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 27th, 2009, 9:34 am
by Sayumi
Yep, your answer would work - well done! ;D
But there actually is a slightly easier question you could ask. Let's see if someone gets it...

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 27th, 2009, 9:58 am
by S.H.
Spoiler:
Ask any:"Which is his(the other man's) room?" Then enter the other room..

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 27th, 2009, 10:33 am
by Sayumi
Good job, that's pretty much the one I meant. But you still could make it a tiny little bit easier (it's really just a minor detail...).  ;)

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 28th, 2009, 2:12 am
by S.H.
Spoiler:
Which is not his(the other person's) room? then enter the room he answered.. :-\

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 28th, 2009, 5:55 am
by Sayumi
Okay, still a tiny little bit of from the one I meant but you definitely get the credits for soving this one!  ;D
the one I meant was
Spoiler:
Which one is your room?

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: February 28th, 2009, 9:05 pm
by S.H.
Spoiler:
oh yeah....should have thought of that >:(  thanks!

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: March 1st, 2009, 4:44 pm
by bash7353
Spoiler:
The problem is even solvable, too, only harder, if Conan doesn't have the information, Ran is behind the truthteller's door. You could also include, that Conan has only time to aks one of the men.
The way you put it made it simpler than it had to be...

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: March 1st, 2009, 5:43 pm
by ayw
googleearth wrote:
Spoiler:
The problem is even solvable, too, only harder, if Conan doesn't have the information, Ran is behind the truthteller's door. You could also include, that Conan has only time to aks one of the men.
The way you put it made it simpler than it had to be...
Yes, you're right. The question Holmes gave as an answer...
Holmes wrote:
Spoiler:
Ask one of the men: "Which is the door the other one will point if I ask him which is the door Ran is?" and take the other door.
would work (though Holmes never explained which door to choose after getting the reply). In this case, it doesn't matter which man Conan asks the question to.

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: March 4th, 2009, 4:05 pm
by AtticusGreen
The so called easier answers don't work because
Spoiler:
You don't find out where Ran is. Only the question in the first response will tell you where Ran is.

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: March 4th, 2009, 4:11 pm
by Sayumi
They do work:
He knows ... that Ran is in the room of the man who never lies...

Re: Case Number IV

Posted: March 4th, 2009, 4:13 pm
by AtticusGreen
My bad, even after checking for that kind of sentence in the problem I didn't see it. I now agree they work.