Aussie mathematician solves Cheryl's Birthday logic problem

Posted by freedomforall 10 years, 9 months ago to Education
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The original problem can be seen here without a solution in case you want to try it yourself.
Its a clever problem. Try it. You can solve it, too.


All Comments

  • Posted by $ puzzlelady 10 years, 9 months ago
    All you precocious logicians, having warmed up with the Cheryl problem, now tackle my Quiz 6, that takes logic puzzles into a whole new dimension: www.gamepuzzles.com/quiz6.htm -- prizes for best, or first, solution.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 10 years, 9 months ago
    I think it was Alexander Woolcott who reviewed a book by an Antarctica explorer, when he said, "It told me really more than I wanted to know about penguins."
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  • Posted by khalling 10 years, 9 months ago
    db and I thoroughly enjoyed it. but we approached it differently. He used the approach expected. I thought the two guys were giving each other word clues instead of just contextual clues. also, I made that conclusion because the wording of their sentences seemed odd to me. So when Albert said, "I don't know when Cheryl's b-day is, but I know Bernard does not too-" I immediately jumped onto the "too"-2 second month mentioned is June. so he gave Bernard the hint June. Now Bernard already knows the day, so now he knows the answer, so he responds, "at FIRST I didn't know, but I do now." first or the first date in June offered which was the 17th. so June 17. yes, I think like that sometimes. db just stared at me for a long time and said...no.
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  • Posted by davidmcnab 10 years, 9 months ago
    Not a difficult problem, but it does require a certain stillness and focus, quantities which are less abundant in the population these days
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  • Posted by jbaker 10 years, 9 months ago
    I "played" the problem with my wife at dinner last week. At first she gave me the "...don't bother me with this boring nonsense", but as I stepped her thorough it she enjoyed it. Lots of fun.
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  • Posted by Eudaimonia 10 years, 9 months ago
    This is a very clever problem.

    It seems absolutely incomprehensible.

    But when explained, thoroughly understandable.
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