Devedander Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 (edited) Again, no googling or searching an answer. If you are sure you have the right answer, maybe say so or even drop a subtle hint but try not to ruin it for others (PM me if you want to check if your answer is right). So the ninjas from the previous problems are irked at the 100 pirates ability (with Pugs assistance) to defeat their captivity and decide to spite them by putting them in yet another devious trap. This time all the pirates are moved to an underground prison. This prison is massive and each pirate is to be put in a cell alone completely out of earshot and site of every other pirate. Randomly a guard will come by and randomly pick one pirate to take to "the room". In this room are 2 switches on the wall (standard light switches) which don't control anything, they can be flipped on or off and will stay that way if untouched. This is the only thing that the pirates are allowed to interact with and when taken to "the room" each pirate will be given 1 minute alone and must flip 1 and only 1 switch 1 time (ie if it's on it can then be flipped off and vice versa). Then the pirate will be taken back to his cell. The ninjas inform the pirates that at any time a pirate may tell the ninja that they have all (pirates) been to the room at least once. If he is right, they are all let free, if they are wrong they are all killed. The pirates are told this info and given a day to prepare. After this day they will be moved to their cells at which point they will have no futher communication. No pirate can communicate with any other pirate (other than flipping switches in "the room") and the pirates will not see the ninja guard comming to get his pirate a day or him escorting said pirate to "the room" (the ninjas have teleporters). Remember the guard is doing this randomly, he may bring the same pirate to the room 200 days in a row if he so feels. What is the strategy the pirates come up with to be able to answer with certainty that every pirate has been to the room in the fewest number of days? (Note: there is no "X days answer like 200 days because of the whole random guard thing, so the answer should be a strategy and why the strategy will let them answer at the earliest they can be certain that every pirate has been to the room at least once. Assume smart pirates with perfect memory who will not die of natural causes throughout this problem.) EDIT: I think I added too much info to the problem... the problem should not include days... the ninja can take any pirates at any time so no one can know they were the first one in the room just because it's the first day. I apologize as I think both Pug and Edd have it right as it was originally worded. I have updated it so I think it's accurate now. Edited February 24, 2007 by Devedander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Are you getting these from a logic gate manual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Are you getting these from a logic gate manual? I am getting these from a brain that is so fascinated by logic puzzles it sucks them up like a whino at a vodka truck crash but for the life of me can't remember my gf's birthday! Are you answering these becuase you really figure it out or because you saw them before? (I know some of the ones you answered in minutes took me hours!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Are you answering these becuase you really figure it out or because you saw them before? (I know some of the ones you answered in minutes took me hours!) I'm really that fast. Ok, this puzzle can be done with only one switch, I believe. Want to know how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 I'm really that fast. Ok, this puzzle can be done with only one switch, I believe. Want to know how? Do you have to change the rule that says the pirate must flip one switch and only one switch while in the room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Do you have to change the rule that says the pirate must flip one switch and only one switch while in the room? Yup. Yeah, that means my method is right. You know I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Yup. Yeah, that means my method is right. You know I know. Yup... boy I am gonna have to work electron spin pairing into a problem to give you a real challenege! Now everyone else, Pug got it that fast, anyone else gonna give this one a try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddhead Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Do you have to change the rule that says the pirate must flip one switch and only one switch while in the room? i think i have it too, given this hint.. i will pm you EDIT: Wrong.. I hate you again... actually maybe but i think it would take a really long time.. ok.. i will try the pm thing again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdkno Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Yup... boy I am gonna have to work electron spin pairing into a problem to give you a real challenege! Now everyone else, Pug got it that fast, anyone else gonna give this one a try? No offense to Pug, but if you have to change the rule to get it right then it isn't right according to the rules set fourth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 No offense to Pug, but if you have to change the rule to get it right then it isn't right according to the rules set fourth. Trust me, I've got it. Devedender knows I've got it. The rules changing was my hinting to Deve that I got the concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddhead Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Yup... boy I am gonna have to work electron spin pairing into a problem to give you a real challenege! Now everyone else, Pug got it that fast, anyone else gonna give this one a try? pm sent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted February 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 (edited) While you guy are both obviously on the right track, here is one thing to conside... you can't be sure of the starting positions of the switches... if you are counting orientations this might screw stuff up. Also don't forget the ninjas choose pirates at random, so two pirates could be going back to back 100 times in a row each while no other pirates have gone to the room yet. BTW if you are arriving at a maggic 99 I am pretty sure there is a small flaw in the plan... Edited February 24, 2007 by Devedander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted February 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 OK guys, I made a mistake, I am sorry. I think you do have the right solutions for the way it was originally worded. However it has been altered to what it should be, it's not 1 a day, it's any number at any time as long as they are 1 minute apart and no one can know if they were first in the room or not. Sorry guys... bah!!! Tired... off to my other job now so won't be able to comment for a bit. Hope you get to try it some while I am gone. BTW this should make it more pertinant that you don't know the starting orientation of the switches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 I knew carbone monoxide was some kind of complex coverup for the real cause of global warming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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