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#1 2010-04-27 06:02:51
- wintersolstice
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Containers of marbles
for those who have done this puzzle, here's an extra: if you change what the others knew about their containers, in only one situation can you still solve it. In that situation who knew and what is the solution?
Why did the chicken cross the Mobius Band?
To get to the other ...um...!!!
#2 2010-05-10 18:14:06
- gurthbruins
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Re: Containers of marbles
I like your avatar of 5 intersecting cubes! but nobody seems to have a clue about your puzzle: could you give a bit more info? Are those periods representing letters that need to be filled in? In that case my guess is "strumpet". I did not read what you wrote for those who have done this puzzle, as I have not.
It's the activity of the intelligence above all that gives charm to existence.
#3 2010-05-10 22:27:40
- ZHero
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Re: Containers of marbles
gurthbruins wrote:
I like your avatar of 5 intersecting cubes!
WOW!
I didn't have a slightest clue that those were intersecting cubes!
Nice gurthbruins!!! 
I came across Origami whence trying to kill my curosity!
If two or more thoughts intersect with each other, then there has to be a point.
#4 2010-05-13 01:59:47
- wintersolstice
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Re: Containers of marbles
gurthbruins wrote:
Ibut nobody seems to have a clue about your puzzle: could you give a bit more info?
Basically using the info about who knows what's in their container (the colour of their third marble) in this case KKD (meaning that the first two knew what was in their container, the other person didn't, refering to the first three of course, this is the "situation" of the original puzzle, if you want to have a look and see what I mean) the puzzle has one unique solution.
However if you changed it to another "situation" such as KKK (as in the first three knew what was in their containers) the puzzle becomes impossible (there's not sufficient information to figure out what's in each container, because there's more than one answer) but one "situation" (apart from KKD) does have a unique solution (for what's in each container)
My question is: what "situation" apart from KKD creates this unique solution (obsviously not KKK) and what is the unique solution (what is in each container)
I hope that makes sense
gurthbruins wrote:
I like your avatar of 5 intersecting cubes
I actually got the picture off Wikipedia it was an orthogonal projection of one of the Hess-Schlafli polychora, I didn't know it was also a picture of the "compound of five cubes"! Although I've heard of that shape:D
Why did the chicken cross the Mobius Band?
To get to the other ...um...!!!
#5 2010-05-14 07:25:48
- gurthbruins
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Re: Containers of marbles
What puzzle are you talking about, where is it and how am I supposed to know the answer to either of these questions... please.
It's the activity of the intelligence above all that gives charm to existence.
#6 2010-05-22 01:11:05
- wintersolstice
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Re: Containers of marbles
gurthbruins wrote:
What puzzle are you talking about, where is it and how am I supposed to know the answer to either of these questions... please.
It's on the "Mathsisfun archive" here:
http://www.mathsisfun.com/puzzles/marble-mix-up.html
Last edited by wintersolstice (2010-05-22 01:11:41)
Why did the chicken cross the Mobius Band?
To get to the other ...um...!!!
#7 2010-05-22 03:09:18
- gurthbruins
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Re: Containers of marbles
Thanks, ws. I went there and enjoyed the puzzle, it was fun unentangling it. But I think that'll be enough for me.
It's the activity of the intelligence above all that gives charm to existence.
#8 2011-02-22 07:58:11
- byronjordan
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Re: Containers of marbles
The solution to the puzzle presented in the first message in this thread appears to be.......
The proof is....
Note: Had to use Tom, Rick, Harry, and Sally as the names instead of the names given in the original Marble Mix Up puzzle.
Last edited by byronjordan (2011-02-22 08:16:52)
#9 2011-02-22 08:16:17
- byronjordan
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Re: Containers of marbles
The solution given in my previous message appears to be the only solution to wintersolstice's puzzle in the first message in this thread.
However, there is a qualification. In the original puzzle it does not state whether any of the individuals can see the earlier container labels, including Sally, in addition to their own, except for Sally. It doesn't matter. Whether they can, or not, changes nothing factual in the puzzle and changes nothing in the solution.
In wintersolstice's puzzle, there can be another solution if Sally can see everybody else's labels, at least one more solution, maybe more. For those of us solving the puzzle, we don't need to know what the labels are, we only need to know that the puzzle as stated is factual, and that Sally can see everybody else's labels.
As a funny trivial matter, the statement of the original puzzle is NOT factual, or it is not complete if factual. If Harry has all the info that Sally has, then why doesn't he know the color of his third marble? Why doesn't he know everything that Sally knows? It's trivial but Harry should have come in late and not known the statements made by Tom and/or Rick[sic], for example. 
That was enjoyable!
Last edited by byronjordan (2011-02-23 13:27:29)