Answers for Riddles & Puzzles Entry
1. Mathematical Notation is pi/phi. Just count the number of letters in each word of the poem, which denotes the approximate value of pi.
2. Josephine's Problem:
- If there is only 1 unfaithful husband, then every woman in the Kingdom knows that except for his wife, who believes that everyone is faithful. Thus, as soon as she hears from the Queen that unfaithful men exist, she knows her husband must be unfaithful, and shoots him.
- If there are 2 unfaithful husbands, then both their wives believe there is only 1 unfaithful husband (the other one). Thus, they will expect that the case above will apply, and that the other husband's wife will shoot him at midnight on the next day. When no gunshot is heard, they will realise that the case above did not apply, thus there must be more than 1 unfaithful husband and (since they know that everyone else is faithful) the extra one must be their own husband.
- If there are 3 unfaithful husbands, each of their wives believes there to be only 2, so they will expect that the case above will apply and both husbands will be shot on the second day. When they hear no gunshot, they will realize that the case above did not apply, thus there must be more than 2 unfaithful husbands and as before their own husband is the only candidate to be the extra one.
- In general, if there are n unfaithful husbands, each of their wives will believe there to be n-1 and will expect to hear a gunshot at midnight on the n-1th day. When they don't, they know their own husband was the nth.
This problem is also known as the Cheating Husbands Problem, the Unfaithful Wives Problem or the Muddy Children Problem.
Poem Riddles:
1. Chainmail
2. Candle
3. Darkness
Hope you guys enjoyed the fun/mind-boggling teasers.
P.S.: "Shame" on those who read this entry before my previous entry.. Just kidding =P