Math Is Fun Forum / two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

pRo9aMeR · 2013-01-10 21:04:02

The puzzle posted on MIF in its current state has two possible solutions.

I don't have time to explain here, but the fork in the road begins after clues 1,2,4,7,8,9,10,13,14,15,(16),18 have been put in place.

phrontister · 2013-01-10 23:08:46

Hi pRo9aMeR,

There's a thread already about multiple solutions to this puzzle - here - and you'll see that we tried to fix that problem.

I'd be very interested to see your solutions!

anonimnystefy · 2013-01-10 23:37:34

Hi phrontister

I thought MIF added the extra clue so that it wouldn't have three solutions...

phrontister · 2013-01-11 08:37:33

Hi stefy,

I very carefully came up with the changes intended to achieve a unique solution, to which Bob agreed and which MIF subsequently adopted. See posts #34, #40, #46, #52, #55, #58 and #62-#67 of that other thread.

Maybe pRo9aMeR has another solving method that somehow has identified multiple solutions that Bob's method and mine didn't reveal...or we overlooked something.

anonimnystefy · 2013-01-11 09:00:21

Maybe...

pRo9aMeR · 2013-01-11 22:12:10

Please tell me what you think!

bob bundy · 2013-01-11 23:06:29

That works for me.

Oh dear, I thought we had sorted the bugs out of this.

Have to go back to the other thread and see what we did there.

LATER EDIT:

I cannot believe this. This alternate solution fits and the puzzle and solution is exactly what we worked out at

http://www.mathisfunforum.com/viewtopic.php?id=17789

What is going on?

I think the five are moving about while I watch.

Bob

phrontister · 2013-01-12 10:22:57

Hi all,

Uh-oh! Yes, there are two solutions! Grumble...thought I'd fixed that.

Anyway, well spotted, pRo9aMeR. And yes, all is ok until the fork, from which there is no logical move to continue.

I'm looking at coming up with a fix...again! Got some options in mind (including an obvious one and a humorous one), and am just assessing which is the most devious and that it gives a unique solution.

May take a little while, though.

Last edited by phrontister (2013-01-12 11:08:41)

phrontister · 2013-01-13 03:19:54

Ok...fixed, I think. Hopefully this time there's only one solution.

I made just one real alteration - to clue 21 (now clue 10) - but also did some renumbering to separate two pairs of closely-related clues.

The solution is different from both previous ones, but the solving process near the end is now more interesting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The person in the middle watches Desperate Housewives
2. Bob is the first in the queue
3. The person who watches the Simpsons is next to the person who lives in a youth hostel
4. The person going to Africa is behind Rachael
5. The person who lives in a village is 52
6. The person who is going to Australia has straight hair
7. The person travelling to Africa watches Desperate Housewives
8. The 14-year-old is at the end of the queue
9. Amy watches Eastenders
10. Eilish doesn't live on a farm
11. The person heading to Italy has long hair
12. Keeley lives in a village
13. The 46-year-old is bald
14. The fourth in the queue is going to England
15. The people who watch Desperate Housewives & Neighbours are standing next to each other
16. The person who watches Coronation Street stands next to the person with an afro
17. The 21-year-old lives in a youth hostel
18. The person who watches Corrie has long hair
19. The 81-year-old lives on a farm
20. The person who is travelling to France lives in a town
21. A person next to Rachael has an afro

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last edited by phrontister (2013-01-13 03:44:43)

bob bundy · 2013-01-13 08:35:44

Thanks phrontister

I get a single solution with that set of clues.

So fingers crossed that you have pinned it down.

To pRo9aMeR

Please would you try phro's clues and see if it works for you.

Thanks,

Bob

phrontister · 2013-01-13 10:50:53

Hi Bob,

Thanks. Yes, that's what I got too.

Still got my fingers crossed for when pRo9aMeR tries it.

pRo9aMeR · 2013-01-14 05:06:19

well done phronister! Now there is one and only one solution!

I got the same answer as Bob as well.

One thing that has bugged me about this puzzle, though, is the fact that curly hair is never mentioned in the clues.
I'm not gonna try and mess up what has finally been cleared up now. Maybe in the future when I'm bored...

Nonetheless, phronister GG!

And a quick question - Has anyone else completed my "Who Has the Purple Door?" puzzle besides phronister?
I had updated the OP in that thread with the (hopefully) final changes but there hasn't been a response.
phronister, maybe you could double check that it's still good enough; I'd like it to be posted on MIF to see how my puzzle fairs in the rest of the world.

phrontister · 2013-02-03 02:56:03

Hi pRo9aMeR,

I felt really bad about you being bugged about 'curly hair' not getting a mention in the clues ( ), so here's another version to fix that.

The only answer not mentioned in the clues now is 'city', which is fine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The person in the middle watches Desperate Housewives
2. Bob is 46
3. The person who watches the Simpsons is next to the person who lives in a youth hostel
4. The person going to Africa is behind Rachael
5. The person who lives in a village is 52
6. The person who is going to Australia has straight hair
7. The person travelling to Africa watches Desperate Housewives
8. The 14-year-old is at the end of the queue
9. Amy watches Eastenders
10. Eilish doesn't live on a farm
11. The person heading to Italy has long hair
12. Keeley lives in a village
13. The 46-year-old is bald
14. The fourth in the queue is going to England
15. The people who watch Desperate Housewives & Neighbours are standing next to each other
16. The person who watches Coronation Street stands next to the person with an afro
17. The 21-year-old lives in a youth hostel
18. The person who watches Corrie has curly hair
19. The 81-year-old isn't going to England
20. The person who is travelling to France lives in a town
21. A person next to Rachael has an afro
22. The person who watches Neighbours has long hair
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you, and anyone else too, please check it to make sure that I haven't made a mistake and that there is only one solution. If people are happy with it we probably should then ask MathsIsFun to replace the faulty version on the puzzle page with this one.

I haven't re-checked the Purple Door puzzle yet, but I will. Not sure when, though, but I'll try not to leave it too long.

It's a very tough puzzle - the toughest of these that I've done - and, like you, I'm interested to see how it's received by others.

pRo9aMeR · 2013-02-05 20:31:47

Phronister, I just checked your newest version that includes curly hair. It works out!

And I'm updating my Purple Door puzzle...I had the same double-solution problem, but thanks to some students, I got it squared away I think.

phrontister · 2013-02-06 02:02:14

Thanks for the thumbs-up, pRo9aMeR. I checked it several times and always got the same unique answer.

I started on the Purple Door puzzle yesterday and am about a third of the way through it, but I'll stop there until you've posted your update. Looking forward to trying it!

phrontister · 2013-02-06 02:26:06

Hi Bob,

I don't know if you've tried my latest version in post #13, but if you haven't I wonder if you'd mind giving it a go - if you're not too over this one already, that is - so that we can put it up to MathsIsFun as being a replacement for the faulty one on the puzzle page...once and for all!!

Ta!

bob bundy · 2013-02-06 04:14:51

hi Phro,

Yes, I've been meaning to but other things keep popping up. That's the trouble with being retired ... no time to do all the things I've been planning. When will I ever learn to play like Mark Knopfler?

This evening, (GMT) I will do it. (the puzzle that is; not learn to play like .....)

Bob

phrontister · 2013-02-06 08:19:00

Hi Bob,

And there I was, thinking that once I retired I'd have time to fit in all those things that I couldn't get done because of work commitments!

Good luck with your guitar lessons!

bob bundy · 2013-02-06 10:47:10

hi Phro,

I get a single answer which is shown below.

Bob

Uploaded Images

phrontister · 2013-02-06 22:30:57

Hi pRo9aMeR,

Did you get the same answer as Bob? That's what I got, too.

Hi Bob,

Xlnt...same answer as mine.

So at least we agree on something; but you're cleverer than I am because you probably did it while standing on your head!!

bob bundy · 2013-02-06 22:43:38

hi Phro,

Cleverer? That's kind of you to say. But it helps to have the blood where it's needed.

Bob

pRo9aMeR · 2013-02-07 19:38:15

I did get the same answer^^

phrontister · 2013-03-13 01:14:52

Hi MathsIsFun,

We've finally sorted out the problem of this puzzle having two solutions (which we thought we'd fixed last year but pRo9aMeR recently proved us wrong).

The following amended version, which also appears in post #13, has a single solution (see the hide box).

Bob, pRo9aMeR and I have checked and verified it, and I wonder if you'd like to use it to fix the faulty version on the puzzle page here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The person in the middle watches Desperate Housewives
2. Bob is 46
3. The person who watches the Simpsons is next to the person who lives in a youth hostel
4. The person going to Africa is behind Rachael
5. The person who lives in a village is 52
6. The person who is going to Australia has straight hair
7. The person travelling to Africa watches Desperate Housewives
8. The 14-year-old is at the end of the queue
9. Amy watches Eastenders
10. Eilish doesn't live on a farm
11. The person heading to Italy has long hair
12. Keeley lives in a village
13. The 46-year-old is bald
14. The fourth in the queue is going to England
15. The people who watch Desperate Housewives & Neighbours are standing next to each other
16. The person who watches Coronation Street stands next to the person with an afro
17. The 21-year-old lives in a youth hostel
18. The person who watches Corrie has curly hair
19. The 81-year-old isn't going to England
20. The person who is travelling to France lives in a town
21. A person next to Rachael has an afro
22. The person who watches Neighbours has long hair
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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#1 2013-01-10 21:04:02

two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#2 2013-01-10 23:08:46

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#3 2013-01-10 23:37:34

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#4 2013-01-11 08:37:33

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#5 2013-01-11 09:00:21

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#6 2013-01-11 22:12:10

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#7 2013-01-11 23:06:29

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#8 2013-01-12 10:22:57

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#9 2013-01-13 03:19:54

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#10 2013-01-13 08:35:44

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#11 2013-01-13 10:50:53

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#12 2013-01-14 05:06:19

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#13 2013-02-03 02:56:03

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#14 2013-02-05 20:31:47

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#15 2013-02-06 02:02:14

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#16 2013-02-06 02:26:06

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

#17 2013-02-06 04:14:51

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#18 2013-02-06 08:19:00

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#19 2013-02-06 10:47:10

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#20 2013-02-06 22:30:57

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#21 2013-02-06 22:43:38

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#22 2013-02-07 19:38:15

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#23 2013-03-13 01:14:52

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