"All right then. what do I have in my pocket?"

[jwisneski]

this would be 99 factorial or 99! = 1x2x3x4x5...99 (base 10)

[Calpitor]

Originally posted by jwisneski
this would be 99 factorial or 99! = 1x2x3x4x5...99 (base 10)

Originally posted by Calpitor What is the largest possible number you can write using only 2 digits - just 2 digits, nothing else ?

In order for the your answer to be correct you would have to write factorial in as well.

[Leurgy]

It must still be Sunday someplace, eh Big John?

Ok, try this one. Whats the difference between Partly Cloudy and Partly Sunny?

And can somebody tell me exzctly where those guards are in front of the door to Salvation, cause I could sure use a door like that right now.

[jenae]

Hi I have only just seen this thread, been away, The Salvation answer is as Tuttle say's I wrote the puzzle see here.
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...ight=salvation

[BigFred]

Originally posted by Calpitor What is the largest possible number you can write using only 2 digits

How about

Could this be describe as a couple of zero's written close together??

[Leurgy]

There not zeros, there ohs. Nice try though.

[TJolly]

Originally posted by Tuttle
That assumes that the truth teller is guarding the door to salvation, but you don't know which guard is in front of which door.

Lemme try and explain mine ("If I asked the other guard which door leads to salvation, what would he say?") another way. Remember mine wasn't a yes-or-know question, it asked the guard to indicate a door.

If you ask the liar to point to the door to salvation, he'll point to the door to damnation. So if you ask the truth teller my question (what the liar would say if you asked for the door to salvation), the truth teller will also point to the door to damnation.

If you ask the truth teller to point to the door to salvation, he'll point to it. So if you ask the liar my question (what the truth teller would say if you asked for the door to salvation), he'll lie about it and indicate the door to damnation instead.

Either way, the guard you ask points to the door to damnation, so you go through the other door.

Hi Tuttle

Please take it from me that the answer I have posted is the correct answer. Please read the answer again and you will see what I mean and remember this part:

The reason for this answer is because if the question would be asked of the truth teller he would answer truthfully by saying 'No'. If you spoke to the liar he would tell a lie and say 'Yes'. Therefore in ? a) above if you spoke to the truth teller and the liar was guarding the door to salvation the answer would be 'No' and you would know that the liar is guarding the door to salvation. If you spoke with the liar and he replied 'No' then the truthful guard is guarding the door you want. If the liar said 'Yes', you would know that was a lie and the door you want is behind that guard. Remember the truthful guard always tells the truth

[BigFred]

Originally posted by Leurgy
Ok, try this one. Whats the difference between Partly Cloudy and Partly Sunny?

I don't know but I think I retire to Elsewhere Because it's always fine there. BF

[Tuttle]

OK, the guard one. Facts as presented in the question:

• There are two doors, one for salvation and one for damnation.
• There is one guard in front of each door.
• One guard always tells the truth.
• One guard always tells lies.

You propose asking "If I were to ask him (meaning the other guard) whether you guarded the door to salvation, what would he say?", and interpreting 'no' as you are talking to the truth teller, and 'yes' as you are talking to the liar.


What if:

• You ask that question of the truth teller.
• The truth teller happens to be standing in front of the door to damnation.

In that case, the liar would say 'yes' to his sub-question (because the truth teller is not guarding the door to salvation), and the truth teller would correctly pass that on. So you're asking the truth teller your question, but you get a 'yes' answer.

I think you're assuming that the truth teller is in front of the door to salvation (something you didn't say in the question).


My answer works in the general case, because it identifies the correct door, instead of trying to work out who is telling the truth and who is lying.