How did he know?
The Riddler
Three prisoners are condemned to death. The Prison Warden explains that as a cruel joke he will allow one to go free… The remaining two will be executed.
The Warden produces three black and two white discs. He fastens one to each of their backs, there are two discs remaining.
(For your benefit alone, I will reveal that he is left with one black & one white disc.)
Each prisoner can see the discs on the backs of his fellow prisoners.
The Warden tells them: the first man to leave the compound and correctly identify the disc on his back will go free, while the other two will be executed.
They are allowed to speak to each other and ask questions but nothing said can be trusted… Yet one man left the compound and correctly named his disk.
HOW?
This one's a bit harder Pedro, hopefully it will stretch your mind, just a little...
ReplyDeletebefore I try to work this out can I assume the prisoners do not know the clours of the remaining discs?
ReplyDeleteYup!
DeleteGuessing that his fellow prisoners would not tell the truth he asked them what colour he had on his back the likelihood was that they would both tell him the same colour he would then be sure it was the opposite.
ReplyDeleteOf course he could simply have bribed the warden
I was thinking the same a Peter that they asked each other and assumed no one told the truth. Waiting with baited breath len.🤔
ReplyDeleteHe saw one black and one white. if he was white the prisoner who was black would know and escape with his life. if he was black neither of the other two could be certain of their colour. he could then be confident that he was black. Get in There
ReplyDeleteA good guess Pedro...
DeleteHow long did it take you? Its a good one eh? Well if your so good at solving I bet you've got a few we could post so send them in...
Delete