What are some examples of challenging logical puzzles and questions?

[Jordan Joab]

The answer considered the most smart of all because of no assumptions:

The pharmacist gives the man a cup of coffee to drink while he's waiting for the cash memo. After the man has drunk the coffee, the pharmacist says, "There was poison in that coffee. I'll give you the antidote if you write a signed statement that you were planning to kill your wife. I'll keep the confession; if anything happens to your wife, I'll give it to the police."

This answer is not mine.It was asked at IBM interview center,California.Regarded as the smartest because of no assumptions at all.

Question closed.

Except the husband doesn't care because he really hates that woman and ends up killing her anyways. Now we know why IBM couldn't do what Microsoft did.



Jordan Joab.

 

[Kurdt]

Boy would the pharmacists face be red if he didn't confess and he got done for murder.

 

[neu]

I don't care I got 8 points!

Logic should be applicable to any scenario, and scenarios exist with apparently different logical outcomes. I think your premise is right physixguru, but as jimmy and Jordan point out, your last solution does contain the assumtion that the husband is deterted from murdering his wife if he thinks he'll be found out. You need this assumtion in order to qualify the answer to the question asking that the pharmascist ENSURES the husband does not commit the murder.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Boy would the pharmacists face be red if he didn't confess and he got done for murder.

Considering that he apparently hasn't the evidence to take to the police and this is all intuition at work then he may have poisoned an innocent man and gone to jail himself.

I think your premise is right physixguru, but as jimmy and Jordan point out, your last solution does contain the assumtion that the husband is deterted from murdering his wife if he thinks he'll be found out.

Likely a legitimate assumption if he is using poison.

Of course assuming he doesn't want to be found out the pharmacist can make a call to the police and if they show up asking questions he knows he will be the prime suspect if he does go through with her murder possibly detering him from action. Works just as well as trying to poison the man and extort a confession with the added benefit of it not being illegal (illegal actions being something I thought the pharmacist wanted to avoid).

 

[Kurdt]

I think people were referring to the fact that the man could confess and get the antidote and then still commit the murder because he was undeterred by the fact the pharmacist had a confession. Some people just aren't bothered at all by things like jail sentences.

 

[Borek]

Logic

 

[physixguru]

Because there are only one GRANDFATHER, one FATHER and one SON..
FATHER is also son to the GRANDFATHER and GRANDFATHER is also father to the FATHER

Great work buddy.You take the accolades.
10 points.

Question closed.

 

[physixguru]

I think people were referring to the fact that the man could confess and get the antidote and then still commit the murder because he was undeterred by the fact the pharmacist had a confession. Some people just aren't bothered at all by things like jail sentences.

I completely agree with you Kurdt.But the pharmacist never knew the man's pyschology.The question asked always how the pharmacist could prevent the murder.He had to do what he could do best.And the answer is really reliable because that was the best the pharmacist could do on his part.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Logic

If Aristototle were alive today he or she would be rolling in his or her grave.

 

[Gokul43201]

The answer considered the most smart of all because of no assumptions:

The pharmacist gives the man a cup of coffee to drink while he's waiting for the cash memo. After the man has drunk the coffee, the pharmacist says, "There was poison in that coffee. I'll give you the antidote if you write a signed statement that you were planning to kill your wife. I'll keep the confession; if anything happens to your wife, I'll give it to the police."

This answer is not mine.It was asked at IBM interview center,California.Regarded as the smartest because of no assumptions at all.

Question closed.

1. Confessions signed under duress are not legally binding,
2. The pharmacist will go to jail for this, for blackmail and reckless endangerment,
3. What if the pharmacist was wrong about the man wanting to kill his wife? OOPS!

I think IBM ought to fire themselves for this.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I think IBM ought to fire themselves for this.

What if someone takes the IBM test, finds out what the answer is, suspects someone and then poisons them. If the story that IBM had such a test is not an urban legend, then I doubt IBM's legal department got a look at the test before it was administered.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I think IBM ought to fire themselves for this.

Then they could write scripts for Matlock if it weren't off the air.

 

[Squall84]

This pharmacist poisoning the guy question will only has possible solution if the husband is scared of going to jail. It doesn't really make sense to give this type of question if the husband is already prepared to go to jail. It is more of a common sense than assumption unless the question does state that the husband is ready to go to jail

 

[DaveC426913]

Doesn't the question imply that - other than explicitly stated - we should assume the people involved will behave as normally as you or I would? i.e. you or I would, all other things being equal, not wish to go to jail?

 

[Squall84]

Doesn't the question imply that - other than explicitly stated - we should assume the people involved will behave as normally as you or I would? i.e. you or I would, all other things being equal, not wish to go to jail?

If a question need to be explained in detail so that it would satisfy everyone understanding or thinking, all logical question will be very loooonnnggg. So what I meant is although we have to assume that everything or everyone will behave normally, it will make the question simple and easier to understand rather than having everyone to think so differently and cause argument. This is just my simple-minded thinking.;p

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Doesn't the question imply that - other than explicitly stated - we should assume the people involved will behave as normally as you or I would? i.e. you or I would, all other things being equal, not wish to go to jail?

I'm not sure about you but I wouldn not normally wish to poison my wife... I hope. :-/

 

[Squall84]

I'm a loving and caring husband...in the future.

 

[spideyunlimit]

More questions?

 

[physixguru]

It "jimmy" and a few others are taking up my time just for explaining their silly questions in the thread.If you have a damn problem with the solution jimmy,Go talk your brains out with IBM.I work at Motorola, and the conformity of the test holds no doubts.Better talk to the IBM administrators.

No more conflicts with the answer will be entertained by physixguru.I have had a talk with the moderators and anybody looking to argue on the answer,after i have mentioned,they are not mine, will be barred from answering the questions in the thread.

 

[neu]

Hello moto

got any more questions guru?

 

[physixguru]

Here comes the next one:

You want to send a valuable object to a friend securely. You have a box which can be fitted with multiple locks, and you have several locks and their corresponding keys. However, your friend does not have any keys to your locks, and if you send a key in an unlocked box, the key could be copied en route. How can you send the object securely?

Question open for all.

 

[Jordan Joab]

Here comes the next one:

You want to send a valuable object to a friend securely. You have a box which can be fitted with multiple locks, and you have several locks and their corresponding keys. However, your friend does not have any keys to your locks, and if you send a key in an unlocked box, the key could be copied en route. How can you send the object securely?

Question open for all.

Lock the box and send it. Tell your friend to buy a boltcutter and/or hacksaw.



Jordan.

 

[physixguru]

Lock the box and send it. Tell your friend to buy a boltcutter and/or hacksaw.



Jordan.

If the locks could have been opened with a hacksaw or a bolt-cutter, they could be unlocked midway also by an unauthorized person.They can be opened only using proper keys.

 

[Borek]

Send locked box, wait for confirmation it hit the destination, send keys.

 

[neu]

Can you communicate with your friend?

 

[neu]

Build a quantum computer, use it to simulate the valuable object to almost perfect replication, then also use it along with the BB84 algorithm to encrypt a key which encodes the simulation data, distribute this key to your friend (who also has a quantum computer) along with the data. Your friedn then runs the simulation and "attains" the valuable object.

simple

(or do what Borek said)

 

[physixguru]

Build a quantum computer, use it to simulate the valuable object to almost perfect replication, then also use it along with the BB84 algorithm to encrypt a key which encodes the simulation data, distribute this key to your friend (who also has a quantum computer) along with the data. Your friedn then runs the simulation and "attains" the valuable object.

simple

(or do what Borek said)

A quantum computer is too big a deal.He is a simple man ,not a cyber junkie ,friend.Do what you would do in your real life.The solution is more than just simple.

 

[physixguru]

Send locked box, wait for confirmation it hit the destination, send keys.

As usual Borek, it seems you have not read the question carefully.It says that if you send the keys in an unlocked box, it can be copied en-route.

Chou.

 

[Kurdt]

What Borek said except while you send the package you get your friend to send a box and lock which he has the key to then send the keys in that box locked with the lock your friend sent.

EDIT: Besides it wouldn't matter if the keys were copied since the box was safely in your friends hands anyway would it?

 

[physixguru]

What Borek said except while you send the package you get your friend to send a box and lock which he has the key to then send the keys in that box locked with the lock your friend sent.

EDIT: Besides it wouldn't matter if the keys were copied since the box was safely in your friends hands anyway would it?

Extremely nice try Kurdt ,buddy.But you don't have the key to your friends box in which he has sent the lock of which he has the key nor the key of the lock to lock it back to him.

As what Borek said, you never want you house keys to get into somebody else's hands even though you also possesses the key.It is unsafe friend.

Make a clean transaction with no hazards at all.

 

[neu]

I get 2 attempts to answer right?

2nd answer:
Construct a box with a time lock such that it only opens after 5 days. Put a key in the time locked box and send it to you're friend. Repeat until you friend reports reciept of the box within 5 days. Then send the box locked by the key that was safely sent.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Send the box unlocked and with no keys in it.

 

[physixguru]

I get 2 attempts to answer right?

2nd answer:
Construct a box with a time lock such that it only opens after 5 days. Put a key in the time locked box and send it to you're friend. Repeat until you friend reports reciept of the box within 5 days. Then send the box locked by the key that was safely sent.

Unrealistic answer.You method would cost him more than he can afford.

Seems you wasted all your energy in arguing with me and proving me wrong.Wake up!

Also, nobody gets to answer twice from now on.


Answer Discarded.

 

[physixguru]

Send the box unlocked and with no keys in it.

Sleeping or what?
Read my question again friend.Your item would be stolen.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

The valuable item is gold. Mold it into the shape of a key and send it in an unlocked box. The interceptor will copy the key, but so what?