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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

113.0. "Who is the murderer?" by HARE::STAN () Tue Jul 31 1984 21:38

From:	HARE::COWAN        "Ken Cowan (ZKO2-3/L13) 381-2198" 31-JUL-1984 17:19
To:	STAN
Subj:	A puzzle ...

From:	HARE::ORTHOBER     "Help me........Please help me......." 31-JUL-1984 16:42
To:	UNKE,GEORGE,GINTNER,COWAN,PWONG
Subj:	puzzel

From:	RUNE::SCHOELLER  "Todd Schoeller  31-Jul-1984 1623" 31-JUL-1984 16:27
To:	HARE::ORTHOBER
Subj:	riddle

		      +-------------------------+
		      |                         |
		      |                         /Door
		      |       A                 |
		      |                         |
	Fireplace    -+-                        |
	and           |           B             |
	mirror --->   |                         |
		      |           C             |
		     -+-                        |
		      |                         |
		      |       D                 |
		      |                         |
		      |                         |
		      |                         |
		      +-------------------------+
 
 
Bill the bookmaker has just been found dead in the dining room of the Moose
Club.  The cause of his death was by poison.
 
Four men are seated in the library room above on a sofa (positions B and C) and
two arm chairs all facing the fireplace.  These men are discussing the circum-
stances of the murder.  The mens names are Smith, Brown, Jones, and Robinson.
These men's accupations are a General, Teacher, Admiral, and a Doctor; however,
this listing is not neccessarily respective of the lists of names given above.
 
The waiter has just finished giving some whiskey to Jones and a beer to Brown.
The General looks up and, in the mirror over the fireplace, he sees the waiter
close the door behind him.  He then turns to Robinson, who is next to him and
continues talking.  Niether Smith nor Brown have sisters and the Teacher is a
teetotaller.  Smith, who is sitting in an armchair, is the admiral's brother-
in-law.  The teacher is next to him on his left.  Everyone is sitting in their
seats when suddenly a hand starts placingsomething into Jones' whiskey.  It is
the murderer once more.  No one else has come into the room.  Who is the
murderer?  Give the occupation of each man and where he is sitting in the room.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
113.1KIRK::WILLIAMSTue Aug 07 1984 19:4539
You can extract from the text:

1. The general is not sitting in A or B

2. The general is sitting next to Robinson

3. The teacher is not Jones or Brown

4. Smith is not sitting in B or C

5. The admiral is not Smith or Brown

6. The teacher is sitting next to Smith on his left

7. The murderer sits next to Jones


Smith is sitting in A since there is a seat to his left

The teacher is Robinson since he is neither Jones, Brown, nor Smith

Robinson is sitting in B since he is to the left of Smith

The admiral is Jones since he is neither Smith, Brown, nor Robinson

Smith is the doctor since he is neither the teacher, admiral, nor the general

The general is Brown since he is neither Smith, Jones, or Robinson

The general is sitting in C since he sits next to Robinson

The admiral is sitting in D since he sits in neither A, B, nor C

The murderer is Brown

	D		C		B		A
      Jones	      Brown	     Robinson	      Smith
     Admiral	     General	     Teacher	      Doctor
		  The Murderer!
113.2It wasn't the butler...TOLKIN::PARROWTue Apr 18 1989 19:587
                            -< ...almost   >-
    
    All names and seating arrangements were correct in the first reply.
    However, the waiter never actually left the room, only closed the
    door behind him...
    
    My guess is the waiter!