Solve the Hardest Puzzle Ever: Who is the Engineer?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a logic puzzle involving three individuals on a train, specifically identifying who among them is the engineer based on a set of clues. The conversation includes analysis of the puzzle's structure, assumptions, and the difficulty level experienced by participants.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant claims the puzzle is challenging, noting that only a small percentage of people solve it correctly.
  • Another participant argues that the puzzle is flawed due to a single assumption that must be made, which they believe detracts from the problem-solving aspect.
  • A different participant asserts that they did not encounter any assumptions and found their deductions to be rigorous, suggesting a different interpretation of the puzzle's structure.
  • Participants express varying levels of confidence in their ability to solve the puzzle, with one admitting to needing assistance to find the answer.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the presence and impact of assumptions in the puzzle. There is no consensus on whether the puzzle is well-constructed or flawed.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the need for additional information to eliminate assumptions, indicating that the puzzle's clues may not be sufficient for a definitive solution.

maximus
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"hardest puzzle ever"

today i ran across this puzzle:


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ON a train Smith, Jones, and Robinson are the fireman, brakeman, and engineer, but NOT respectivly. Also aboard are three business men who have the same names: a Mr. Smith, a Mr. Jones, and a Mr. Robinson.
here are the clues:
1) Mr. Robinson lives in Detroit.
2) The brakeman lives exactly half between Detroit and Chicago.
3) Mr. Jones earns exactly $20,000 per year.
4) The brakeman's nearest neighbor,one of the passengers, earns exactly three times as much as the brakeman.
5) Smith beats the fireman at billiards.
6) The passanger with the same name as the brakeman lives in Chicago.
WHO IS THE ENGINEER?

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

you can PM the answer to me, if you get it.
 
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Bah, wasn't so hard!
 
its a damn good puzzle, about 2.5% of people who do it get it right.

the only problem is they leave you with a single assumpion you have to make - which ruins the whole puzzle as you have to work with information outside the clues.
It still makes it a puzzle tho - just not as good one as you are working with guesses - not pure problem solving.

me: i had to ask for the answer :p - then i saw how i got ripped. If they added a sinle bit of info that eliminated the assumpion allot more people would come up with the answer.
 
Last edited:
I didn't see any assumptions (though I will admit it is very tricky!); when I did it, every deduction I used was perfectly rigorous. PM me if you want to see them.
 

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