281 Puzzles Collected On 10 October 10, 2003

281 puzzles collected on 10
th
October 10, 2003

Br ai n Teaser No : 00765

Thr ee men, i ncl udi ng Gi anni and t hr ee woman, i ncl udi ng Sachi ar e i n l i ne at t he Br ent Wood
post of f i ce. Each has t wo di f f er ent pi eces of busi ness t o conduct .

1. The f i r st per son i s a woman.
2. Car l os want s t o send an over ni ght package.
3. Lau i s j ust ahead of Pi ment el l i who i s t he same sex as Lau.
4. Gi anni i s t wo pl aces ahead of t he per son who want s t o buy st amps.
5. Knut son - who i s t he opposi t e sex t han Rendl er - i sn' t t he per son who want ed t o
compl ai n about a mai l car r i er .
6. The si x peopl e, not necessar i l y i n t he same or der ar e - Ant hony, Donna, t he per son
who want s t o f i l l out a change- of - addr ess f or m, t he one who want s t o buy a money or der , t he
one who want s t o send Ai r mai l t o Ti bet and t he second per son i n t he l i ne.
7. The f our t asks of t he l ast t wo peopl e i n l i ne, not necessar i l y i n t he same or der ar e
- sendi ng books f our t h cl ass, buyi ng a money or der , pi cki ng up a package and compl ai ni ng
about a mai l car r i er .
8. The per son who want s t o send books f our t h cl ass i s j ust behi nd a per son of t he same sex.
9. Mar y i s j ust behi nd a per son who want s t o send an i nsur ed package.
10. The per son who want s t o send Ai r mai l t o Ti bet i s ei t her t wo pl aces ahead of or t wo
pl aces behi nd t he one who want s t o add post age t o hi s or her met er .
11. Ant hony i sn' t t wo pl aces behi nd t he who want s t o pi ckup a r egi st er ed l et t er .
12. Tor i seza i s t wo pl aces ahead of t he per son who want s t o pi ck up a package.
13. Knut son i sn' t j ust ahead of t he per son who want s t o send an i t empar cel post .
Can you f i gur e out wher e each cust omer i s i n t he l i ne, hi s or her f ul l name ( one sur name i s
Lot i ) and t he t wo t hi ngs he or she want s t o accompl i sh? Pr ovi de your answer i s POSI TI ON -
FI RST NAME - LAST NAME - BUSI NESS f or mat .
A ver y TOUGH puzzl e ! ! !

POS FI RST NAME LAST NAME BUSI NESS
1 Sachi Lot i Fi l l Out a Change- of - Addr ess For m
Add Post age t o Met er
2 Gi anni Lau Pi ck Up a Regi st er ed Let t er
Send an I t emPar cel Post
3 Car l os Pi ment el l i Over ni ght Package
Send Ai r mai l t o Ti bet
4 Donna Tor i seza Buy St amps
Send an I nsur ed Package
5 Mar y Knut son Buy a Money Or der
Send Books f our t h Cl ass
6 Ant hony Rendl er Compl ai n About a Mai l Car r i er
Pi ck Up a Package

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Ther e i s a 50ml ong ar my pl at oon mar chi ng ahead. The l ast per son i n t he pl at oon want s t o
gi ve a l et t er t o t he f i r st per son l eadi ng t he pl at oon. So whi l e t he pl at oon i s mar chi ng he
r uns ahead, r eaches t he f i r st per son and hands over t he l et t er t o hi mand wi t hout st oppi ng
he r uns and comes back t o hi s or i gi nal posi t i on.
I n t he mean t i me t he whol e pl at oon has moved ahead by 50m.
The quest i on i s how much di st ance di d t he l ast per son cover i n t hat t i me. Assumi ng t hat he
r an t he whol e di st ance wi t h uni f or mspeed.
Submi t t ed by : manoj aba

Answer

The l ast per son cover ed 120. 71 met er s.
I t i s gi ven t hat t he pl at oon and t he l ast per son moved wi t h uni f or mspeed. Al so, t hey bot h
moved f or t he i dent i cal amount of t i me. Hence, t he r at i o of t he di st ance t hey cover ed -
whi l e per son movi ng f or war d and backwor d - ar e equal .
Let ' s assume t hat when t he l ast per son r eached t he f i r st per son, t he pl at oon moved X met er s
f or war d.
Thus, whi l e movi ng f or war d t he l ast per son moved ( 50+X) met er s wher eas t he pl at oon moved X
met er s.
Si mi l ar l y, whi l e movi ng back t he l ast per son moved [ 50- ( 50- X) ] X met er s wher eas t he pl at oon
moved ( 50- X) met er s.

Now, as t he r at i os ar e equal ,
( 50+X) / X = X/ ( 50- X)
( 50+X) *( 50- X) = X*X
Sol vi ng, X=35. 355 met er s
Thus, t ot al di st ance cover ed by t he l ast per son
= ( 50+X) + X
= 2*X + 50
= 2*( 35. 355) + 50
= 120. 71 met er s
Not e t hat at f i r st gl ance, one mi ght t hi nk t hat t he t ot al di st ance cover ed by t he l ast
per son i s 100 met er s, as he r an t he t ot al l enght of t he pl at oon ( 50 met er s) t wi ce. TRUE,
but t hat ' s t he r el at i ve di st ance cover ed by t he l ast per son i . e. assumi ng t hat t he pl at oon
i s st at i onar y.

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A cont r act or had empl oyed 100 l abour er s f or a f l yover const r uct i on t ask. He di d not al l ow
any woman t o wor k wi t hout her husband. Al so, at l east hal f t he men wor ki ng came wi t h t hei r
wi ves.
He pai d f i ve r upees per day t o each man, f our r uppes t o each woman and one r upee t o each
chi l d. He gave out 200 r upees ever y eveni ng.
How many men, women and chi l dr en wer e wor ki ng wi t h t he const r uct or ?

Answer

16 men, 12 women and 72 chi l dr en wer e wor ki ng wi t h t he const r uct or .
Let ' s assume t hat t her e wer e X men, Y women and Z chi l dr en wor ki ng wi t h t he const r uct or .
Hence,
X + Y + Z = 100
5X + 4Y + Z = 200

El i mi nat i ng X and Y i n t ur n f r omt hese equat i ons, we get
X = 3Z - 200
Y = 300 - 4Z

As i f woman wor ks, her husband al so wor ks and at l east hal f t he men wor ki ng came wi t h t hei r
wi ves; t he val ue of Y l i es bet ween X and X/ 2. Subst i t ut i ng t hese l i mi t i ng val ues i n
equat i ons, we get

i f Y = X,
300 - 4Z = 3Z - 200
7Z = 500
Z = 500/ 7 i . e. 71. 428

i f Y = X/ 2,
300 - 4Z = ( 3Z - 200) / 2
600 - 8Z = 3Z - 200
11Z = 800
Z = 800/ 11 i . e. 72. 727

But Z must be an i nt eger , hence Z=72. Al so, X=16 and Y=12
Ther e wer e 16 men, 12 women and 72 chi l dr en wor ki ng wi t h t he const r uct or .

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Four f r i ends - Ar j an, Bhuvan, Gur an and Lakha wer e compar i ng t he number of sheep t hat t hey
owned.
I t was f ound t hat Gur an had t en mor e sheep t han Lakha.
I f Ar j an gave one- t hi r d t o Bhuvan, and Bhuvan gave a quar t er of what he t hen hel d t o Gur an,
who t hen passed on a f i f t h of hi s hol di ng t o Lakha, t hey woul d al l have an equal number of
sheep.
How many sheep di d each of t hempossess? Gi ve t he mi ni mal possi bl e answer .

Answer

Ar j an, Bhuvan, Gur an and Lakha had 90, 50, 55 and 45 sheep r espect i vel y.
Assume t hat Ar j an, Bhuvan, Gur an and Lakha had A, B, G and L sheep r espect i vel y. As i t i s
gi ven t hat at t he end each woul d have an equal number of sheep, compar i ng t he f i nal number s
f r omt he above t abl e.

Ar j an' s sheep = Bhuvan' s sheep
2A/ 3 = A/ 4 + 3B/ 4
8A = 3A + 9B
5A = 9B

Ar j an' s sheep = Gur an' s sheep
2A/ 3 = A/ 15 + B/ 5 + 4G/ 5
2A/ 3 = A/ 15 + A/ 9 + 4G/ 5 ( as B=5A/ 9)
30A = 3A + 5A + 36G
22A = 36G
11A = 18G

Ar j an' s sheep = Lakha' s sheep
2A/ 3 = A/ 60 + B/ 20 + G/ 5 + L
2A/ 3 = A/ 60 + A/ 36 + 11A/ 90 + L ( as B=5A/ 9 and G=11A/ 18)
2A/ 3 = A/ 6 + L
A/ 2 = L
A = 2L

Al so, i t i s gi ven t hat Gur an had t en mor e sheep t han Lakha.
G = L + 10
11A/ 18 = A/ 2 + 10
A/ 9 = 10
A = 90 sheep

Thus, Ar j an had 90 sheep, Bhuvan had 5A/ 9 i . e. 50 sheep, Gur an had 11A/ 18 i . e. 55 sheep and
Lakha had A/ 2 i . e. 45 sheep.

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You ar e l ocked i nsi de a r oomwi t h 6 door s - A, B, C, D, E, F. Out of whi ch 3 ar e Ent r ances
onl y and 3 ar e Exi t s onl y.
One per son came i n t hr ough door F and t wo mi nut es l at er second per son came i n t hr ough door
A. He sai d, " You wi l l be set f r ee, i f you pass t hr ough al l 6 door s, each door once onl y and
i n cor r ect or der . Al so, door A must be f ol l owed by door B or E, door B by C or E, door C by
D or F, door D by A or F, door E by B or D and door F by C or D. "
Af t er sayi ng t hat t hey bot h l ef t t hr ough door B and unl ocked al l door s. I n whi ch or der must
you pass t hr ough t he door s?

Answer

The cor r ect or der i s CFDABE
I t i s gi ven t hat one per son came i n t hr ough door F and second per son came i n t hr ough door
A. I t means t hat door A and door F ar e Ent r ances. Al so, t hey bot h l ef t t hr ough door B.
Hence, door B i s Exi t .
As Exi t and Ent r ance shoul d al t er each ot her and we know t wo Ent r ances, l et ' s assume t hat
t he t hi r d Ent r ance i s W. Thus, t her e ar e 6 possi bi l i t i es wi t h " _" i ndi cat i ng Exi t .

( 1) _W_A_F ( 2) _W_F_A ( 3) _F_W_A ( 4) _F_A_W( 5) _A_W_F ( 6) _A_F_W

As door A must be f ol l owed by door B or E and none of t heml ead t o t he door F, ( 1) and ( 6)
ar e not possi bl e.
Al so, door D must be t he Exi t as onl y door D l eads t o t he door A and door A i s t he
Ent r ance.
( 2) _W_FDA ( 3) _F_WDA ( 4) _FDA_W( 5) DA_W_F
Onl y door D and door C l ead t o t he door F. But door D i s used. Hence, door C must be t he
Exi t and pr ecede door F. Al so, t he t hi r d Exi t i s B and t he Wmust be door E.
( 2) BECFDA ( 3) CFBEDA ( 4) CFDABE ( 5) DACEBF
But onl y door B l eads t o t he door C and bot h ar e Exi t s. Hence, ( 2) and ( 5) ar e not
possi bl e. Al so, door F does not l ead t o door B - di scar d ( 3) . Hence, t he possi bl e or der i s
( 4) i . e. CFDABE.

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Ther e i s a saf e wi t h a 5 di gi t number as t he key. The 4t h di gi t i s 4 gr eat er t han t he
second di gi t , whi l e t he 3r d di gi t i s 3 l ess t han t he 2nd di gi t . The 1st di gi t i s t hr i ce t he
l ast di gi t . Ther e ar e 3 pai r s whose sumi s 11.
Fi nd t he number .

Answer

65292
As per gi ven condi t i ons, t her e ar e t hr ee possi bl e combi nat i ons f or 2nd, 3r d and 4t h di gi t s.
They ar e ( 3, 0, 7) or ( 4, 1, 8) or ( 5, 2, 9)
I t i s gi ven t hat t her e ar e 3 pai r s whose sumi s 11. Al l possi bl e pai r s ar e ( 2, 9) , ( 3, 8) ,
( 4, 7) , ( 5, 6) . Now r equi r ed number i s 5 di gi t number and i t cont ai ns 3 pai r s of 11. So i t
must not be havi ng 0 and 1 i n i t . Hence, t he onl y possi bl e combi nat i on f or 2nd, 3r d and 4t h
di gi t s i s ( 5, 2, 9)
Al so, 1st di gi t i s t hr i ce t he l ast di gi t . The possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e ( 3, 1) , ( 6, 2) and
( 9, 3) , out of whi ch onl y ( 6, 2) wi t h ( 5, 2, 9) gi ves 3 pai r s of 11. Hence, t he answer i s
65292.

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A per son t r avel s on a cycl e f r omhome t o chur ch on a st r ai ght r oad wi t h wi nd agai nst hi m.
He t ook 4 hour s t o r each t her e.
On t he way back t o t he home, he t ook 3 hour s t o r each as wi nd was i n t he same di r ect i on.
I f t her e i s no wi nd, how much t i me does he t ake t o t r avel f r omhome t o chur ch?

Answer

Let di st ance bet ween home and chur ch i s D.
A per son t ook 4 hour s t o r each chur ch. So speed whi l e t r avel l i ng t owar ds chur ch i s D/ 4.
Si mi l ar l y, he t ook 3 hour s t o r each home. So speed whi l e comi ng back i s D/ 3.
Ther e i s a speed di f f er ence of 7*D/ 12, whi ch i s t he wi nd hel pi ng per son i n 1 di r ect i on, &
sl owi ng hi mi n t he ot her di r ect i on. Aver age t he 2 speeds, & you have t he speed t hat per son
can t r avel i n no wi nd, whi ch i s 7*D/ 24.
Hence, per son wi l l t ake D / ( 7*D/ 24) hour s t o t r avel di st ance D whi ch i s 24/ 7 hour s.
Answer i s 3 hour s 25 mi nut es 42 seconds

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I f a bear eat s 65 pounds i n f i sh ever y day EXCEPT ever y 6t h day whi ch i t onl y eat s 45
pounds of f i sh.
I f t he bear cont i nues t hi s, how many pounds of f i sh wi l l i t eat i n 200 days?
Submi t t ed by : Davi d

Answer

The bear wi l l eat 12, 340 pounds of f i sh i n 200 days.
I t i s gi ven t hat on ever y 6t h day bear eat s 45 pounds of f i sh i . e. on day number 6, 12, 18,
24, . . . . 192, 198 t he bear eat s 45 pounds of f i sh.
Tot al number of 6t h days = 200/ 6 = 33 ( t he bear eat s 45 pounds)
Hence, t he nor mal days ar e = 200 - 33 = 167 ( t he bear eat s 65 pounds)
Thus, i n 200 days, t he bear wi l l eat
= ( 167) * ( 65) + ( 33) * ( 45)
= 10855 + 1485
= 12, 340 pounds

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Anki t and Tej as di vi ded a bag of Appl es bet ween t hem.
Tej as sai d, " I t ' s not f ai r ! You have 3 t i mes as many Appl es I have. " Anki t sai d, " OK, I
wi l l gi ve you one Appl e f or each year of your age. " Tej as r epl i ed, " St i l l not f ai r . Now,
you have t wi ce as many Appl es as I have. " " Dear , t hat ' s f ai r enough as I amt wi ce ol der
t han you. " , sai d Anki t .
Anki t went t o Ki t chen t o dr i nk wat er . Whi l e Anki t was i n Ki t chen, Tej as t ook appl es f r om
Anki t ' s pi l e equal t o Anki t ' s age.
Who have mor e appl es now?

Answer

At t he end, Anki t and Tej as, bot h have t he same number of appl es.
Let ' s assume t hat i ni t i al l y Tej as got N appl es and hi s age i s T year s. Hence, i ni t i al l y
Anki t got 3N appl es and hi s age i s 2T year s.

Oper at i on Anki t ' s Appl es Tej as' s Appl es
I ni t i al l y 3N N
Anki t gave T appl es t o Tej as
( equal s age of Tej as) 3N - T N + T
Tej as t ook 2T appl es f r omAnki t ' s pi l e
( equal s age of Anki t ) 3N - 3T N + 3T

I t i s gi ven t hat af t er Anki t gave T appl es t o Tej as, Anki t had t wi ce as many appl es as
Tej as had.
3N - T = 2*( N + T)
3N - T = 2N + 2T
N = 3T

Fr omt he t abl e, at t he end Anki t have ( 3N - 3T) appl es and Tej as have ( N + 3T) appl es.
Subst i t ut i ng N = 3T, we get
Anki t ' s appl es = 3N - 3T = 9T - 3T = 6T
Tej as' s appl es = N + 3T = 3T + 3T = 6T

Thus, at t he end Anki t and Tej as, bot h have t he same number of appl es.

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The sumof t hei r ( f at her , mot her and son) ages i s 70. The f at her i s 6 t i mes as ol d as t he
son.
When t he sumof t hei r ages i s t wi ce 70, t he f at her wi l l be t wi ce as ol d as t he son.
How ol d i s t he mot her ?
Submi t t ed by : Ti mSander s

Answer

The mot her i s 29 year s and 2 mont hs ol d.

Let ' s assume t hat son i s X year s ol d. Hence, f at her i s 6X year s ol d and mot her i s ( 70- 7X)
year s ol d.
I t i s gi ven t hat t he sumof t hei r ages i s 70, whi ch wi l l t ot al 140 af t er 70/ 3 year s.
Af t er 70/ 3 year s, son wi l l be ( X + 70/ 3) year s ol d and f at her wi l l be ( 6X + 70/ 3) year s
ol d. Al so, i t i s gi ven t hat af t er 70/ 3 year s, t he f at her wi l l be t wi ce as ol d as t he son.
Thus,
( 6X + 70/ 3) = 2 * ( X + 70/ 3)
6X + 70/ 3 = 2X + 140/ 3
4X = 70/ 3
X = 35/ 6

Hence, t hei r ages ar e
Son = X = 35/ 6 = 5 year s and 10 mont hs
Fat her = 6X = 6( 35/ 6) = 35 year s
Mot her = ( 70 - 7X) = 70 - 7( 35/ 6) = 29 year s and 2 mont hs

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Assume f or a moment t hat t he ear t h i s a per f ect l y uni f or mspher e of r adi us 6400 km. Suppose
a t hr ead equal t o t he l engt h of t he ci r cumf er ence of t he ear t h was pl aced al ong t he
equat or , and dr awn t o a t i ght f i t .
Now suppose t hat t he l engt h of t he t hr ead i s i ncr eased by 12 cm, and t hat i t i s pul l ed away
uni f or ml y i n al l di r ect i ons.
By how many cm. wi l l t he t hr ead be separ at ed f r omt he ear t h' s sur f ace?

Answer

The ci cumf er ence of t he ear t h i s
= 2 * PI * r
= 2 * PI * 6400 km
= 2 * PI * 6400 * 1000 m
= 2 * PI * 6400 * 1000 * 100 cm
= 1280000000 * PI cm

wher e r = r adi us of t he ear t h, PI = 3. 141592654
Hence, t he l engt h of t he t hr ead i s = 1280000000 * PI cm
Now l engt h of t he t hr ead i s i ncr easd by 12 cm. So t he new l engt h i s = ( 1280000000 * PI ) +
12 cm
Thi s t hr ead wi l l make one concent r i c ci r cl e wi t h t he ear t h whi ch i s sl i ght l y away f r omt he
ear t h. The ci r cumf er nce of t hat ci r cl e i s not hi ng but ( 1280000000 * PI ) + 12 cm
Assume t hat r adi us of t he out er ci r cl e i s R cm
Ther ef or e,
2 * PI * R = ( 1280000000 * PI ) + 12 cm
Sol vi ng above equat i on, R = 640000001. 908 cm
Radi us of t he ear t h i s r = 640000000 cm
Hence, t he t hr ead wi l l be separ at edf r omt he ear t h by
= R - r cm
= 640000001. 908 - 640000000
= 1. 908 cm

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Subst i t ut e di gi t s f or t he l et t er s t o make t he f ol l owi ng r el at i on t r ue.

S T I L L
+ W I T H I N
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
L I M I T S

Not e t hat t he l ef t most l et t er can' t be zer o i n any wor d. Al so, t her e must be a one- t o- one
mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er S, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her S i n t he puzzl e must be 3.

Answer

The val ue of L must be one mor e t han Wi . e. L=W+1 and t her e must be one car r y f r omS+I =I .
Al so, t he val ue of S must be 9 as S+I =I wi t h one car r y f r omT+T=M, whi ch means t hat t he
val ue of T must be gr eat er t han 4.
Fr omI +H=I , t he val ue of H must be 0 as t he val ue of S i s 9.
Now, appl yi ng al l t hose const r ai nt s and usi ng t r i al - n- er r or , we get t wo possi bl e answer s.
9 7 1 6 6 9 8 5 3 3
+ 5 1 7 0 1 3 + 2 5 8 0 5 6
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 1 4 1 7 9 3 5 6 5 8 9
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Subst i t ut e di gi t s f or t he l et t er s t o make t he f ol l owi ng Di vi si on t r ue
O U T
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
S T E M | D E M I S E
| D M O C
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
T U I S
S T E M
- - - - - - - - - -
Z Z Z E
Z U M M
- - - - - - - -
I S T

mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er M, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her M i n t he puzzl e must be 3.
Submi t t ed by : Cal on

Answer

C=0, U=1, S=2, T=3, O=4, M=5, I =6, Z=7, E=8, D=9
I t i s obvi ous t hat U=1 ( as U*STEM=STEM) and C=0 ( as I - C=I ) .
S*O i s a si ngl e di gi t and al so S*T i s a si ngl e di gi t . Hence, t hei r val ues ( O, S, T) must be
2, 3 or 4 ( as t hey can not be 0 or 1 or gr eat er t han 4) .
Consi der , STEM*O=DMOC, wher e C=0. I t means t hat M must be 5. Now, i t s si mpl e. O=4, S=2,
T=3, E=8, Z=7, I =6 and D=9.

O U T 4 1 3
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
S T E M | D E M I S E 2 3 8 5 | 9 8 5 6 2 8
| D M O C | 9 5 4 0
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T U I S 3 1 6 2
S T E M 2 3 8 5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Z Z Z E 7 7 7 8
Z U M M 7 1 5 5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I S T 6 2 3

Al so, when ar r anged f r om0 t o 9, i t spel l s CUSTOMI ZED.

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I f you l ook at a cl ock and t he t i me i s 3: 15.
What i s t he angl e bet ween t he hour and t he mi nut e hands? ( The answer t o t hi s i s not zer o! )

Answer

7. 5 degr ees
At 3: 15 mi nut e hand wi l l be per f act l y hor i zont al poi nt i ng t owar ds 3. Wher eas hour hand wi l l
be t owar ds 4. Al so, hour hand must have cover ed 1/ 4 of angl e bet ween 3 and 4.
The angl e bet ween t wo adj acent di gi t s i s 360/ 12 = 30 degr ees.
Hence 1/ 4 of i t i s 7. 5 degr ees.

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A ser i es compr i si ng of al phabet s cont ai ns 13 l et t er s. The f i r st seven l et t er s i n t he gi ven
ser i es ar e A, E, F, H, I , L, M
Can you f i nd t he next t wo l et t er s?

Answer

The next l et t er s i n t he ser i es ar e N, O, R, S, U, X.
The pat t er n i s - l et t er s whose Engl i sh names ( Phonet i c Pr onunci at i ons) st ar t wi t h vowel s.

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Whi ch number i n t he ser i es does not f i t i n t he gi ven ser i es:
1 4 3 16 6 36 7 64 9 100

Answer

Thi s i s a ser i es wi t h odd posi t i ons cont ai ni ng posi t i on number wher eas even posi t i ons
cont ai ni ng squar e of t he posi t i on. i . e. even posi t i on number s ar e 4 16 36 64 100 and odd
posi t i on number s ar e 1 3 5 7 9
Hence, 6 does not f i t i n t he ser i es. I t shoul d be 5.

===============================================


What ar e t he next t hr ee number s i n t he gi ven ser i es?

1 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 2 2 3 2 3 3 4 1 2 2 3 2 3 3 4 2 3 3 ?

Answer

The next t hr ee number s i n t he ser i es ar e 4, 3, 4.
The pat t er n i s - t he number of 1' s i n t he bi nar y expansi on of t he posi t i ve i nt eger s
st ar t i ng f r om1.
Number Bi nar y Equi val ent # of 1' s
1 1 1
2 10 1
3 11 2
4 100 1
5 101 2
6 110 2
7 111 3
8 1000 1
9 1001 2
10 1010 2
11 1011 3
12 1100 2
13 1101 3
14 1110 3
15 1111 4
16 10000 1
17 10001 2
18 10010 2
19 10011 3
20 10100 2
21 10101 3
22 10110 3
23 10111 4
24 11000 2
25 11001 3
26 11010 3
27 11011 4
28 11100 3
29 11101 4

The ot her way of l ooki ng at i t i s - br eak up t he ser i es i nt o l i nes as f ol l ow:
1
1 2
1 2 2 3
1 2 2 3 2 3 3 4
1 2 2 3 2 3 3 4 2 3 3 4 3 4 4 5
A new l i ne can be cr eat ed by wr i t i ng pr evi ous l i ne f ol l owed by t he pr evi ous l i ne wi t h 1
added t o each number .

========================================


A cr i cket t eamof 11 pl ayer s l i ned up i n a st r ai ght l i ne t o have t hei r phot ogr aph. The
capt ai n was asked t o st and i n t he cent er of t he l i ne- up.

1) Bhar at and Bhavi n st ood t o t he r i ght of t he capt ai n
2) Two pl ayer s st ood bet ween Bhagat and Bhai r av
3) Seven pl ayer s st ood bet ween Bhadr i k and Bhanu
4) Bhavesh st ood t o t he r i ght of Bhuvan
5) Bhol a and Bhumi t st ood ei t her si de of Bhagat
6) Bhavi k and Bhumi t st ood t o t he l ef t of t he capt ai n
7) Si x pl ayer s st ood bet ween Bhavi n and Bhagat
8) Two pl ayer s st ood bet ween Bhagat and Bhavi k

Who i s t he capt ai n? Can you t el l t he posi t i ons of al l t he pal yer s?

Answer

Pl ayer s f r oml ef t t o r i ght : Bhavi k, ( Bhadr i k/ Bhanu) , ( Bhol a/ Bhumi t ) , Bhagat ,
( Bhol a/ Bhumi t ) , BHUVAN, Bhai r av, ( Bhar at / Bhavesh) , ( Bhar at / Bhavesh) , ( Bhadr i k/ Bhanu) ,
Bhavi n

Let ' s number t he posi t i ons 1 t o 11 f r oml ef t t o r i ght . Hence, t he capt ai n i s at posi t i on 6.
Now, l ooki ng at t he cl ues 7, 5, 2 and 8 t oget her :
Poi st i on 1 - Bhavi k or Bhai r av
Posi t i on 3 - Bhumi t or Bhol a
Posi t i on 4 - Bhagat
Posi t i on 5 - Bhumi t or Bhol a
Poi st i on 7 - Bhavi k or Bhai r av
Posi t i on 11 - Bhavi n

Fr omcl ue ( 3) , t he onl y possi bl e posi t i ons f or Bhadr i k and Bhanu ar e Posi t i on 2 and
Posi t i on 10.
Now t her e ar e 3 posi t i ons r emai ni ng - 6, 8 and 9 and r emai ni ng 3 pl ayer s ar e Bhuvan, Bhar at
and Bhavesh. But f r omcl ue ( 1) , Bhar at st ood t o t he r i ght of t he capt ai n i . e. Bhar at must
be on posi t i on 8 or 9 as posi t i on 6 i s f or t he capt ai n. So ei t her Bhuvan or Bhavesh i s t he
capt ai n.
Fr om( 4) , Bhavesh st ood t o t he r i ght of Bhuvan. Hence, Bhuvan i s t he capt ai n.
Pl ayer s f r oml ef t t o r i ght ar e : Bhavi k, ( Bhadr i k/ Bhanu) , ( Bhol a/ Bhumi t ) , Bhagat ,
( Bhol a/ Bhumi t ) , BHUVAN, Bhai r av, ( Bhar at / Bhavesh) , ( Bhar at / Bhavesh) , ( Bhadr i k/ Bhanu) ,
Bhavi n.
Thus,

* Bhavi k( 1) , Bhagat ( 4) , Bhuvan( 6) , Bhai r av( 7) and Bhavi n( 11) ar e t he pl ayer s whose
posi t i ons ar e f i xed.
* Bhadr i k and Bhanu ar e at posi t i on 2 or 10.
* Bhol a and Bhumi t ar e at posi t i on 3 or 5.
* Bhar at and Bhavesh ar e at posi t i on 8 or 9.

===============================================


I n t he mi ddl e of t he conf ounded deser t , t her e i s t he l ost ci t y of " Ash" . To r each i t , I
wi l l have t o t r avel over l and by f oot f r omt he coast . On a t r ek l i ke t hi s, each per son can
onl y car r y enough r at i ons f or f i ve days and t he f ar t hest we can t r avel i n one day i s 30
mi l es. Al so, t he ci t y i s 120 mi l es f r omt he st ar t i ng poi nt .
What I amt r yi ng t o f i gur e out i s t he f ewest number of per sons, i ncl udi ng mysel f , t hat I
wi l l need i n our Gr oup so t hat I can r each t he ci t y, st ay over ni ght , and t hen r et ur n t o t he
coast wi t hout r unni ng out of suppl i es.
How many per sons ( i ncl udi ng mysel f ) wi l l I need t o accompl i sh t hi s mi ssi on?

Answer

Tot al 4 per sons ( i ncl udi ng you) r equi r ed.
I t i s gi ven t hat each per son can onl y car r y enough r at i ons f or f i ve days. And t her e ar e 4
per sons. Hence, t ot al of 20 days r at i ons i s avai l abl e.
1. Fi r st Day : 4 days of r at i ons ar e used up. One per son goes back usi ng one day of
r at i ons f or t he r et ur n t r i p. The r at i ons r emai ni ng f or t he f ur t her t r ek i s f or 15 days.
2. Second Day : The r emai ni ng t hr ee peopl e use up 3 days of r at i ons. One per son goes
back usi ng 2 days of r at i ons f or t he r et ur n t r i p. The r at i ons r emai ni ng f or t he f ur t her
t r ek i s f or 10 days.
3. Thi r d Day : The r emai ni ng t wo peopl e use up 2 days of r at i ons. One per son goes back
usi ng 3 days of r at i ons f or t he r et ur n t r i p. The r at i ons r emai ni ng f or t he f ur t her t r ek i s
f or 5 days.
4. Four t h Day : The r emai ni ng per son uses up one day of r at i ons. He st ays over ni ght . The
next day he r et ur ns t o t he coast usi ng 4 days of r at i ons.
Thus, t ot al 4 per sons, i ncl udi ng you ar e r equi r ed.

===============================


Ther e ar e 10 st at ement s wr i t t en on a pi ece of paper :

1. At l east one of st at ement s 9 and 10 i s t r ue.
2. Thi s ei t her i s t he f i r st t r ue or t he f i r st f al se st at ement .
3. Ther e ar e t hr ee consecut i ve st at ement s, whi ch ar e f al se.
4. The di f f er ence bet ween t he number s of t he l ast t r ue and t he f i r st t r ue st at ement
di vi des t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound.
5. The sumof t he number s of t he t r ue st at ement s i s t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound.
6. Thi s i s not t he l ast t r ue st at ement .
7. The number of each t r ue st at ement di vi des t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound.
8. The number t hat i s t o be f ound i s t he per cent age of t r ue st at ement s.
9. The number of di vi sor s of t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound, ( apar t f r om1 and i t sel f )
i s gr eat er t han t he sumof t he number s of t he t r ue st at ement s.
10. Ther e ar e no t hr ee consecut i ve t r ue st at ement s.

Fi nd t he mi ni mal possi bl e number ?
Submi t t ed by : Mi l i nd Gadagkar

Answer

The numebr i s 420.
I f st at ement 6 i s f al se, i t cr eat es a par adox. Hence, St at ement 6 must be t r ue.
Consi der St at ement 2:
* I f i t i s t r ue, i t must be t he f i r st t r ue st at ement . Ot her wi se, i t cr eat es a par adox.
* I f i t i s f al se, i t must be t he second f al se st at ement . Ot her wi se, i t cr eat es a
par adox.
I n bot h t he cases, St at ement 1 i s f al se.
As St at ement 1 i s f al se, St at ement 9 and St at ement 10 bot h ar e f al se i . e. t her e ar e t hr ee
consecut i ve t r ue st at ement s.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fal se - - - - Tr ue - - Fal se Fal se
Let \ ' s assume t hat St at ement 3 i s f al se i . e. t her e ar e no t hr ee consecut i ve f al se
st at ement s. I t means t hat St at ement 2 and St at ement 8 must be t r ue, el se t her e wi l l be
t hr ee consecut i ve f al se st at ement s.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fal se Tr ue Fal se - - Tr ue - Tr ue Fal se Fal se
Al so, at l east t wo of St at ement s 4, 5 and 7 must be t r ue as t her e ar e t hr ee consecut i ve t r ue
st at ement s.
Accor di ng t o St at ement 8, t he number t hat i s t o be f ound i s t he per cent age of t r ue
st at ement s. Hence, number i s ei t her 50 or 60. Now i f St at ement 7 i s t r ue, t hen t he number
of each t r ue st at ement di vi des t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound. But 7 and 8 do not di vi de
ei t her 50 or 60. Hence, St at ement 7 i s f al se whi ch means t hat St at ement 4 and 5 ar e t r ue.
But St at ement 5 cont r adi ct s t he St at ement 8. Hence, our assumpt i on t hat St at ement 3 i s
f al se i s wr ong and St at ement 3 i s t r ue i . e. t her e ar e 3 consecut i ve f al se st at ement s whi ch
means t hat St at ement 8 i s f al se as t her e i s no ot her possi bi l i t i es of 3 consecut i ve f al se
st at ement s.
Al so, St at ement 7 i s t r ue as St at ement 6 i s not t he l ast t r ue st at ement .
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fal se - Tr ue - - Tr ue Tr ue Fal se Fal se Fal se
Accor di ng t o St at ement 7, t he number of each t r ue st at ement di vi des t he number , t hat i s t o
be f ound. And accor di ng t o St at ement 5, t he sumof t he number s of t he t r ue st at ement s i s
t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound. For al l possi bl e combi nat i ons St at ement 5 i s f al se.
Ther e 3 consecut i ve t r ue st at ement s. Hence, St at ement 2 and St at ement 4 ar e t r ue.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fal se Tr ue Tr ue Tr ue Fal se Tr ue Tr ue Fal se Fal se Fal se
Now, t he condi t i ons f or t he number t o be f ound ar e:
1. The numebr i s di vi si bl e by 5 ( St at ement 4)
2. The numebr i s di vi si bl e by 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 ( St at ement 7)
3. The number of di vi sor s of t he number , t hat i s t o be f ound, ( apar t f r om1 and i t sel f )
i s not gr eat er t han t he sumof t he number s of t he t r ue st at ement s. ( St at ement 9)
The mi ni mumpossi bl e number i s 420.
The di vi sor s of 420, apar t f r om1 and i t sel f ar e 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20, 21,
28, 30, 35, 42, 60, 70, 84, 105, 140, 210. Ther e ar e t ot al of 22 di vi sor s. Al so, t he sumof
t he number s of t he t r ue st at ement s i s 22 ( 2+3+4+6+7=22) , whi ch sat i sf i es t he t hi r d
condi t i on.

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500 men ar e ar r anged i n an ar r ay of 10 r ows and 50 col umns accor di ng t o t hei r hei ght s.
Tal l est among each r ow of al l ar e asked t o come out . And t he shor t est among t hemi s A.
Si mi l ar l y af t er r esumi ng t hemt o t hei r or i gi nal posi t i ons, t he shor t est among each col umn
ar e asked t o come out . And t he t al l est among t hemi s B.
Now who i s t al l er A or B ?

Answer

No one i s t al l er , bot h ar e same as A and B ar e t he same per son.
As i t i s ment i oned t hat 500 men ar e ar r anged i n an ar r ay of 10 r ows and 50 col umns
accor di ng t o t hei r hei ght s. Let ' s assume t hat posi t i on number s r epr esent t hei r hei ght s.
Hence, t he shor t est among t he 50, 100, 150, . . . 450, 500 i s per son wi t h hei ght 50 i . e. A.
Si mi l ar l y t he t al l est among 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . . . 48, 48, 50 i s per son wi t h hei ght 50 i . e. B
Now, bot h A and B ar e t he per son wi t h hei ght 50. Hence bot h ar e same.

===================================================


A r i ch man di ed. I n hi s wi l l , he has di vi ded hi s gol d coi ns among hi s 5 sons, 5 daught er s
and a manager .
Accor di ng t o hi s wi l l : Fi r st gi ve one coi n t o manager . 1/ 5t h of t he r emai ni ng t o t he el der
son. Now gi ve one coi n t o t he manager and 1/ 5t h of t he r emai ni ng t o second son and so
on. . . . . Af t er gi vi ng coi ns t o 5t h son, di vi ded t he r emai ni ng coi ns among f i ve daught er s
equal l y.
Al l shoul d get f ul l coi ns. Fi nd t he mi ni mumnumber of coi ns he has?

Answer

We t r i ed t o f i nd out some si mpl e mat hemat i cal met hod and f i nal l y we wr ot e smal l C pr ogr am
t o f i nd out t he answer . The answer i s 3121 coi ns.

Her e i s t he br eakup:
Fi r st son = 624 coi ns
Second son = 499 coi ns
Thi r d son = 399 coi ns
For t h son = 319 coi ns
Fi f t h son = 255 coi ns
Daught er s = 204 each
Manager = 5 coi ns

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Ther e ar e 20 peopl e i n your appl i cant pool , i ncl udi ng 5 pai r s of i dent i cal t wi ns.

I f you hi r e 5 peopl e r andoml y, what ar e t he chances you wi l l hi r e at l east 1 pai r of
i dent i cal t wi ns? ( Needl ess t o say, t hi s coul d cause t r oubl e ; ) )
Submi t t ed by : Ti mSander s

Answer

The pr obabi l i t y t o hi r e 5 peopl e wi t h at l east 1 pai r of i dent i cal t wi ns i s 25. 28%
5 peopl e f r omt he 20 peopl e can be hi r ed i n 20C5 = 15504 ways.
Now, di vi de 20 peopl e i nt o t wo gr oups of 10 peopl e each :
G1 - wi t h al l t wi ns
G2 - wi t h al l peopl e ot her t han t wi ns

Let ' s f i nd out al l possi bl e ways t o hi r e 5 peopl e wi t hout a si ngl e pai r of i ndent i cal
t wi ns.
Peopl e f r omG1 Peopl e f r omG2 No of ways t o hi r e G1 wi t hout a si ngl e pai r of i ndent i cal
t wi ns No of ways t o hi r e G2 Tot al ways
0 5 10C0 10C5 252
1 4 10C1 10C4 2100
2 3 10C2 * 8/ 9 10C3 4800
3 2 10C3 * 8/ 9 * 6/ 8 10C2 3600
4 1 10C4 * 8/ 9 * 6/ 8 * 4/ 7 10C1 800
5 0 10C5 * 8/ 9 * 6/ 8 * 4/ 7 * 2/ 6 10C0 32
Tot al 11584

Thus, t ot al possi bl e ways t o hi r e 5 peopl e wi t hout a si ngl e pai r of i ndent i cal t wi ns =
11584 ways
So, t ot al possi bl e ways t o hi r e 5 peopl e wi t h at l east a si ngl e pai r of i ndent i cal t wi ns =
15504 - 11584 = 3920 ways
Hence, t he pr obabi l i t y t o hi r e 5 peopl e wi t h at l east a si ngl e pai r of i ndent i cal t wi ns
= 3920/ 15504
= 245/ 969
= 0. 2528
= 25. 28%

============================================


A woman t ook a cer t ai n number of eggs t o t he mar ket and sol d some of t hem.
The next day, t hr ough t he i ndust r y of her hens, t he number l ef t over had been doubl ed, and
she sol d t he same number as t he pr evi ous day.
On t he t hi r d day t he new r emai nder was t r i pl ed, and she sol d t he same number as bef or e.
On t he f our t h day t he r emai nder was quadr upl ed, and her sal es t he same as bef or e.
On t he f i f t h day what had been l ef t over wer e qui nt upl ed, yet she sol d exact l y t he same as
on al l t he pr evi ous occasi ons and so di sposed of her ent i r e st ock.
What i s t he smal l est number of eggs she coul d have t aken t o mar ket t he f i r st day, and how
many di d she sel l dai l y? Not e t hat t he answer i s not zer o.
Submi t t ed by : Dan Al l en

Answer

She t ook 103 eggs t o mar ket on t he f i r st day and sol d 60 eggs ever yday.
Let ' s assume t hat she had N eggs on t he f i r st day and she sol d X eggs ever yday. Put t i ng
down t he gi ven i nf or mat i on i n t he t abl e as f ol l ow.
Days Eggs at t he st ar t of t he day Eggs Sol d Eggs Remai ni ng
Day 1 N X N- X
Day 2 2N- 2X X 2N- 3X
Day 3 6N- 9X X 6N- 10X
Day 4 24N- 40X X 24N- 41X
Day 5 120N- 205X X 120N- 206X
I t i s gi ven t hat she di sposed of her ent i r e st ock on t he f i f t h day. But f r omt he t abl e
above, t he number of eggs r emai ni ng ar e ( 120N- 206X) . Hence,
120N - 206X = 0
120N = 206X
60N = 103X
The smal l est val ue of N and X must be 103 and 60 r espect i vel y. Hence, she t ook 103 eggs t o
mar ket on t he f i r st day and sol d 60 eggs ever yday.

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Four coupl es ar e goi ng t o t he movi e. Each r ow hol ds ei ght seat s. Bet t y and J i mdon' t want
t o si t next t o Al i ce and Tom. Al i ce and Tomdon' t want t o si t next t o Ger t r ude and Bi l l . On
t he ot her hand, Sal l y and Bob don' t want t o si t next t o Bet t y and J i m.
How can t he coupl es ar r ange t hemsel ves i n a r ow so t hat t hey al l si t wher e t hey woul d l i ke?
Submi t t ed by : Tar a Smi t h

Answer

Fr omt he gi ven dat a, i t can be i nf er r ed t hat :
( Sal l y & Bob) NOT ( Bet t y & J i m) NOT ( Al i ce & Tom) NOT ( Ger t r ude & Bi l l )
( A) NOT ( B) means A and B can not seat next t o each ot her .
Now, i t i s obvi ous t hat ( Bet t y & J i m) and ( Al i ce & Tom) wi l l occupy t he cor ner seat s as
bot h of t hemcan have onl y one nei ghbour . Ther ef or e,
( Ger t r ude & Bi l l ) wi l l seat next t o ( Bet t y & J i m)
( Sal l y & Bob) wi l l seat next t o ( Ger t r ude & Bi l l )
( Al i ce & Tom) wi l l seat next t o ( Sal l y & Bob)
Thus, t her e ar e t wo possi bl e ar r angement s - a mi r r or i mages of each ot her .
1. ( Bet t y & J i m) - ( Ger t r ude & Bi l l ) - ( Sal l y & Bob) - ( Al i ce & Tom)
2. ( Al i ce & Tom) - ( Sal l y & Bob) - ( Ger t r ude & Bi l l ) - ( Bet t y & J i m)

=========================================================



N E V E R
L E A V E
+ M E
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A L O N E


Answer

A t ough one! ! !

Si nce R + E + E = 10 + E, i t i s cl ear t hat R + E = 10 and nei t her R nor E i s equal t o 0 or
5. Thi s i s t he onl y ent r y poi nt t o
sol ve i t . Now use t r i al - n- er r or met hod.

N E V E R 2 1 4 1 9
L E A V E 3 1 5 4 1
+ M E + 6 1
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A L O N E 5 3 0 2 1

===================================================


Shahr ukh speaks t r ut h onl y i n t he mor ni ng and l i es i n t he af t er noon, wher eas Sal man speaks
t r ut h onl y i n t he af t er noon and l i es i n t he mor ni ng.
A says t hat B i s Shahr ukh.
I s i t mor ni ng or af t er noon and who i s A - Shahr ukh or Sal man?

Answer

I t i s Af t er noon and A can be Sal man or Shahr ukh. I f A i s Sal man, he i s speaki ng t r ut h. I f A
i s Shahr ukh, he i s l yi ng.
Want t o conf i r mi t ? Consi der f ol l owi ng 4 possi bl e answer s and check f or i t s t r ut hness
i ndi vi dual l y.

1. I t i s Mor ni ng and A i s Shahr ukh
2. I t i s Mor ni ng and A i s Sal man
3. I t i s Af t er noon and A i s Shahr ukh
4. I t i s Af t er noon and A i s Sal man

====================================


Mr . D' souza has bought f our car s - Mer c, Honda, For d, Zen - as pr esent s f or hi s sons'
bi r t hdays, al l of whi ch ar e next week. Gi ven t he f ol l owi ng i nf or mat i on, what wi l l each son
get ?
Al an wi l l not get t he Honda unl ess Bar r y get s t he Mer c and Denzi l get s t he For d. Bar r y wi l l
not get t he For d unl ess Car l get s t he Zen and Al an get s t he Mer c. Denzi l wi l l not get t he
Zen unl ess Al an get s t he Honda and Bar r y get s t he Mer c. Al an wi l l not get t he Mer c unl ess
Car l get s t he Zen and Denzi l get s t he For d. Bar r y wi l l not get t he Mer c unl ess Al an get s
t he Zen and Denzi l get s t he For d. Al an wi l l not get t he Zen unl ess Bar r y get s t he Honda and
Car l get s t he Mer c. Car l wi l l not get t he Zen unl ess Bar r y get s t he Honda and Al an get s t he
For d. Al an wi l l not get t he For d unl ess Bar r y get s t he Zen and Denzi l get s t he Honda. Car l
wi l l not get t he Mer c unl ess Denzi l get s t he Honda.

Answer

Let ' s put gi ven 9 i nf or mat i on i n a t abl e. The per son i n Bol d Font wi l l not get t he
cor r espondi ng car unl ess t he per sons i n Nor mal Font get t he cor r espondi ng car s. Al so, t he
per son wi l l I t al i cs wi l l get t he r emai ni ng car .

Mer c Honda For d Zen
1 Bar r y Al an Denzi l Car l
2 Al an Denzi l Bar r y Car l
3 Bar r y Al an Car l Denzi l
4 Al an Bar r y Denzi l Car l
5 Bar r y Car l Denzi l Al an
6 Car l Bar r y Denzi l Al an
7 Denzi l Bar r y Al an Car l
8 Car l Denzi l Al an Bar r y
9 Car l Denzi l ? ?

Now, l et ' s assume t hat Al an get s t he Mer c. Then f r om( 4) , Bar r y get s t he Honda, Denzi l get s
t he For d and Car l get s t he Zen. But f r om( 7) , Car l wi l l not get t he Zen unl ess Bar r y get s
t he Honda and Al an get s t he For d. Thus, i t cont r adi ct s t he or i gi nal assumpt i on. Hence, Al an
wi l l not get t he Mer c.
Let ' s assume t hat Al an get s t he Honda. Then f r om( 1) , Bar r y get s t he Mer c, Denzi l get s t he
For d and Car l get s t he Zen. But f r om( 5) or f r om( 7) , i t cont r adi ct s t he or i gi nal
assumpt i on. Hence, Al an wi l l not get t he Honda.
Let ' s assume t hat Al an get s t he For d. Then f r om( 8) , Car l get s t he Mer c, Denzi l get s t he
For d and Bar r y get s t he Zen - whi ch does not cont r adi ct any of t he st at ement .
Si mi l al y, you can assume t hat Al an get s t he Zen. ( whi ch i s cont r adi ct or y t o ( 9) )
Hence, Al an get s t he For d, Bar r y get s t he Zen, Car l get s t he Mer c and Denzi l get s t he
Honda.
=====================================================


I n a cer t ai n game, i f 2 wi xsomes ar e wor t h 3 changs, and 4 changs ar e wor t h 1 pl ut , t hen 6
pl ut es ar e wor t h how many wi xsomes?

Answer

I t i s gi ven t hat
2 wi xsomes = 3 changs
8 wi xsomes = 12 changs - - - - - ( I )

Al so, gi ven t hat
4 changs = 1 pl ut
12 changs = 3 pl ut es
8 wi xsomes = 3 pl ut es - - - - - Fr om( I )

Ther ef or e,
6 pl ut es = 16 wi xsomes
========================================


A st i ck of l engt h 1 i s di vi ded r andoml y i nt o 3 par t s.
What i s t he pr obabi l i t y t hat a t r i angl e can be made wi t h t hose t hr ee par t s?

Answer

The pr obabi l i t y, t hat a t r i angl e can be made by r andoml y di vi di ng a st i ck of l engt h 1 i nt o
3 par t s, i s 25%
A t r i angl e can be made, i f and onl y i f , sumof t wo si des i s gr eat er t han t he t hi r d si de.
Thus,
X1 < X2 + X3
X2 < X3 + X1
X3 < X1 + X2

Al so, i t i s gi ven t hat X1 + X2 + X3 = 1
Fr omabove equat i ons: X1 < 1/ 2, X2 < 1/ 2, X3 < 1/ 2
Thus, a t r i angl e can be f or med, i f al l t hr ee si des ar e l ess t han 1/ 2 and sumi s 1.
Now, l et ' s f i nd t he pr obabi l i t y t hat one of X1, X2, X3 i s gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2.
Not e t hat t o di vi de st i ck r andoml y i nt o 3 par t s, we need t o choose t wo number s P and Q,
bot h ar e bet ween 0 & 1 and P
Now, X1 wi l l be gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2, i f and onl y i f bot h t he number s, P & Q, ar e
gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2. Thus, pr obabi l i t y of X1 bei ng gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2 i s
= ( 1/ 2) * ( 1/ 2) = 1/ 4

Si mi l ar l y, X3 wi l l be gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2, i f and onl y i f bot h t he number s, P & Q,
ar e l ess t han or equal t o 1/ 2. Thus, pr obabi l i t y of X3 bei ng gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2
i s = ( 1/ 2) * ( 1/ 2) = 1/ 4

Al so, pr obabi l i t y of X2 bei ng gr eat er t han or equal t o 1/ 2 i s = ( 1/ 2) * ( 1/ 2) = 1/ 4
The pr obabi l i t y t hat a t r i angl e can not be made
= ( 1/ 4) + ( 1/ 4) + ( 1/ 4)
= ( 3/ 4)

Thus, t he pr obabi l i t y t hat a t r i angl e can be made
= 1 - ( 3/ 4)
= ( 1/ 4)
= 25 %

Thus, t he pr obabi l i t y t hat a t r i angl e can be made by r andoml y di vi di ng a st i ck of l engt h 1
i nt o 3 par t s i s 25%
Let ' s gener al i se t he pr obl em. What i s t he pr obabi l i t y t hat a pol ygon wi t h ( N+1) si des can
be made f r om( N+1) segment s obt ai ned by r andoml y di vi di ng a st i ck of l engt h l i nt o ( N+1)
par t s?
The pr obabi l i t y i s = 1 - ( N+1) *( 1/ 2) ^N
The pr obabi l i t y t ends t o 1 as N gr ows. Thus, i t i s easi er t o make a N- si ded pol ygon t han i t
i s t o make a t r i angl e! ! !

===========================================


Ther e ar e 4 mat hemat i ci ans - Br ahma, Sachi n, Pr ashant and Nakul - havi ng l unch i n a hot el .
Suddenl y, Br ahma t hi nks of 2 i nt eger number s gr eat er t han 1 and says, " The sumof t he
number s i s. . . " and he whi sper s t he sumt o Sachi n. Then he says, " The pr oduct of t he number s
i s. . . " and he whi sper s t he pr oduct t o Pr ashant . Af t er t hat f ol l owi ng conver sat i on t akes
pl ace :

Sachi n : Pr ashant , I don' t t hi nk t hat we know t he number s.
Pr ashant : Aha! , now I know t he number s.
Sachi n : Oh, now I al so know t he number s.
Nakul : Now, I al so know t he number s.

What ar e t he number s? Expl ai n your answer .
Submi t t ed by : Sachi n Kanekar

Answer

The number s ar e 4 and 13.

As Sachi n i s i ni t i al l y conf i dent t hat t hey ( i . e. he and Pr ashant ) don' t know t he number s,
we can concl ude t hat -
1) The summust not be expr essi bl e as sumof t wo pr i mes, ot her wi se Sachi n coul d not have
been sur e i n advance t hat Pr ashant di d not know t he number s.
2) The pr oduct cannot be l ess t han 12, ot her wi se t her e woul d onl y be one choi ce and
Pr ashant woul d have f i gur ed t hat out al so.

Such possi bl e sumar e - 11, 17, 23, 27, 29, 35, 37, 41, 47, 51, 53, 57, 59, 65, 67, 71, 77,
79, 83, 87, 89, 93, 95, 97, 101, 107, 113, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 131, 135, 137,
143, 145, 147, 149, 155, 157, 161, 163, 167, 171, 173, 177, 179, 185, 187, 189, 191, 197,
. . . .
Let ' s exami ne t hemone by one.
I f t he sumof t wo number s i s 11, Sachi n wi l l t hi nk t hat t he number s woul d be ( 2, 9) , ( 3, 8) ,
( 4, 7) or ( 5, 6) .
Sachi n : " As 11 i s not expr essi bl e as sumof t wo pr i mes, Pr ashant can' t know t he number s. "
Her e, t he pr oduct woul d be 18( 2*9) , 24( 3*8) , 28( 4*7) or 30( 5*6) . I n al l t he cases except
f or pr oduct 30, Pr ashant woul d know t he number s.
- i f pr oduct of t wo number s i s 18:
Pr ashant : " Si nce t he pr oduct i s 18, t he sumcoul d be ei t her 11( 2, 9) or 9( 3, 6) . But i f t he
sumwas 9, Sachi n woul d have deduced t hat I mi ght know t he number s as ( 2, 7) i s t he possi bl e
pr i me number s pai r . Hence, t he number s must be 2 and 9. " ( OR i n ot her wor ds, 9 i s not i n t he
Possi bl e SumLi st )
Pr ashant : " Si nce t he pr oduct i s 24, t he sumcoul d be ei t her 14( 2, 12) , 11( 3, 8) or 10( 4, 6) .
But 14 and 10 ar e not i n t he Possi bl e SumLi st . Hence, t he number s must be 3 and 8. "
Pr ashant : " Si nce t he pr oduct i s 28, t he sumcoul d be ei t her 16( 2, 14) or 11( 4, 7) . But 16 i s
not i n t he Possi bl e SumLi st . Hence, t he number s must be 4 and 7. "
Pr ashant : " Si nce t he pr oduct i s 30, t he sumcoul d be ei t her 17( 2, 15) , 13( 3, 10) or 11( 5, 6) .
But 13 i s not i n t he Possi bl e SumLi st . Hence, t he number s must be ei t her ( 2, 15) or ( 5, 6) . "
Her e, Pr ashant won' t be sur e of t he number s.
Hence, Pr ashant wi l l be sur e of t he number s i f pr oduct i s ei t her 18, 24 or 28.
Sachi n : " Si nce Pr ashant knows t he number s, t hey must be ei t her ( 3, 8) , ( 4, 7) or ( 5, 6) . " But
he won' t be sur e. Hence, t he sumi s not 11.
Summer i si ng dat a f or sum11:
Possi bl e SumPRODUCT Possi bl e Sum
2+9 18 2+9=11 ( possi bl e)
3+6=9
3+8 24 2+12=14
3+8=11 ( possi bl e)
4+6=10
4+7 28 2+12=14
4+6=10
5+6 30 2+15=17 ( possi bl e)
3+10=13

Fol l owi ng t he same pr ocedur e f or 17:
Possi bl e SumPRODUCT Possi bl e Sum
2+15 30 2+15=17 ( possi bl e)
3+10= 13
3+14 42 2+21=23 ( possi bl e)
3+14=17 ( possi bl e)
6+7=13
4+13 52 2+26=28
4+13=17 ( possi bl e)
5+12 60 2+30=32
3+20=23 ( possi bl e)
4+15=19
5+12=17 ( possi bl e)
6+10=16
6+11 66 2+33=35 ( possi bl e)
3+22=25
6+11=17 ( possi bl e)
7+10 70 2+35=37 ( possi bl e)
5+14=19
7+10=17 ( possi bl e)
8+9 72 2+36=38
3+24=27 ( possi bl e)
4+18=22
6+12=18

Her e, Pr ashant wi l l be sur e of t he number s i f t he pr oduct i s 52.
Sachi n : " Si nce Pr ashant knows t he number s, t hey must be ( 4, 13) . "
For al l ot her number s i n t he Possi bl e SumLi st , Pr ashant mi ght be sur e of t he number s but
Sachi n won' t .
Her e i s t he st ep by st ep expl ai nat i on:

Sachi n : " As t he sumi s 17, t wo number s can be ei t her ( 2, 15) , ( 3, 14) , ( 4, 13) , ( 5, 12) ,
( 6, 11) , ( 7, 10) or ( 8, 9) . Al so, as none of t hemi s a pr i me number s pai r , Pr ashant won' t be
knowi ng number s ei t her . "
Pr ashant : " Si nce Sachi n i s sur e t hat bot h of us don' t know t he number s, t he summust be
one of t he Possi bl e SumLi st . Fur t her , as t he pr oduct i s 52, t wo number s can be ei t her
( 2, 26) or ( 4, 13) . But i f t hey wer e ( 2, 26) , Sachi n woul d not have been sur e i n advance t hat
I don' t know t he number s as 28 ( 2+26) i s not i n t he Possi bl e SumLi st . Hence, t wo number s
ar e 4 and 13. "
Sachi n : " As Pr ashant now knows bot h t he number s, out of al l possi bl e pr oduct s - 30( 2, 15) ,
42( 3, 14) , 52( 4, 13) , 60( 5, 12) , 66( 6, 11) , 70( 7, 10) , 72( 8, 9) - t her e i s one pr oduct f or whi ch
l i st of al l possi bl e sumcont ai ns ONLY ONE sumf r omt he Possi bl e SumLi st . And al so, no
such t wo l i st s exi st . [ see t abl e above f or 17] Hence, t wo number s ar e 4 and 13. "
Nakul f i gur ed out bot h t he number s j ust as we di d by obser vi ng t he conver sat i on bet ween
Sachi n and Pr ashant .
I t i s i nt er est i ng t o not e t hat t her e ar e no ot her such t wo number s. We checked al l t he
possi bl e sums t i l l 500 ! ! !

============================================


Al i Baba had f our sons, t o whomhe bequeat hed hi s 39 camel s, wi t h t he pr ovi so t hat t he
l egacy be di vi ded i n t he f ol l owi ng way :
The ol dest son was t o r ecei ve one hal f t he pr oper t y, t he next a quar t er , t he t hi r d an
ei ght h and t he youngest one t ent h. The f our br ot her s wer e at a l oss as how t o di vi de t he
i nher i t ance among t hemsel ves wi t hout cut t i ng up a camel , unt i l a st r anger appear ed upon t he
scene.
Di smount i ng f r omhi s camel , he asked i f he mi ght hel p, f or he knew j ust what t o do. The
br ot her s gr at ef ul l y accept ed hi s of f er .
Addi ng hi s own camel t o Al i Baba' s 39, he di vi ded t he 40 as per t he wi l l . The ol dest son
r ecei ved 20, t he next 10, t he t hi r d 5 and t he youngest 4. One camel r emai ned : t hi s was
hi s, whi ch he mount ed and r ode away.
Scr at chi ng t hei r heads i n amazement , t hey st ar t ed cal cul at i ng. The ol dest t hought : i s not
20 gr eat er t han t he hal f of 39? Someone must have r ecei ved l ess t han hi s pr oper shar e ! But
each br ot her di scover ed t hat he had r ecei ved mor e t han hi s due. How i s i t possi bl e?

Answer

They t ook t hei r per cent ages f r om40 and not f r om39, so t hey got mor e t han t hei r shar e.

The ol dest son got 1/ 2 of 40 = 20 whi ch i s 0. 5 mor e
The second son got 1/ 4 of 40 = 10 whi ch i s 0. 25 mor e
The t hi r d son got 1/ 8 of 40 = 5 whi ch i s 0. 125 mor e
The youngest son got 1/ 10 of 40 = 4 whi ch i s 0. 1 mor e
And t he st r anger got 1/ 40 of 40 = 1 whi ch i s 0. 025 mor e ( As he i s not supposed t o get
anyt hi ng)
Al l t hese f r act i ons add t o = 0. 5 + 0. 25 + 0. 125 + 0. 1 + 0. 025 = 1 whi ch st r anger t ook away.

==============================================


The Bul l s, Pacer s, Laker s and J azz r an f or a cont est .
Anup, Suj i t , J ohn made t he f ol l owi ng st at ement s r egar di ng r esul t s.

* Anup sai d ei t her Bul l s or J azz wi l l def i ni t el y wi n
* Suj i t sai d he i s conf i dent t hat Bul l s wi l l not wi n
* J ohn sai d he i s conf i dent t hat nei t her J azz nor Laker s wi l l wi n

When t he r esul t came, i t was f ound t hat onl y one of t he above t hr ee had made a cor r ect
st at ement . Who has made t he cor r ect st at ement and who has won t he cont est ?

Answer

Suj i t h has made t he cor r ect st at ement and Laker s has won t he cont est .
Let ' s sol ve i t . Cr eat e t he t abl e wi t h t he st at ement s made.
Bul l s Pacer s Laker s J azz
Anup YES YES
Suj i t NO
J ohn NO NO

Now l et ' s anal yse t he si t uat i on by assumi ng t hat Anup has made t he cor r ect st at ement . I t
means t hat ei t her Bul l s or J azz has won t he cont est .

* I f bul l s has won, t hen J ohn i s al so cor r ect
* I f J azz has won, t hen Suj i t i s al so cor r ect .

I n ei t her case Anup has made t he wr ong st at ement .
Now assume t hat Suj i t has made t he cor r ect st at ement . I t means t hat ei t her or Pacer s or
Laker s or J azz won t he cont est .

* I f Pacer s has won, t hen J ohn i s al so cor r ect .
* I f J azz has won, t hen Anup i s al so cor r ect .
* I f Laker s has won, t hen Anup and J ohn bot h ar e wr ong.

So i s t he answer - Suj i t has made t he cor r ect st at ement and Laker s won t he cont est .
Si mi l ar l y, anal yse f or j ohn whi ch means ei t her Bul l s or Pacer shas won t he cont est .

================================================


1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 4 3 2 ? ? ?

Answer

The next t hr ee number s ar e 3, 4 and 5.
The pat t er n i s - t he number of l et t er s i n t he Roman numer al r epr esent at i on of t he number s
i . e. number of l et t er s i n I , I I , I I I , I V, V, VI , VI I , VI I I , I X, X, XI , XI I , XI I I , XI V, XV,
. . . . .
Hence, t he next number s i n t he gi ven ser i es ar e 3( XVI ) , 4( XVI I ) , 5( XVI I I ) , 3( XI X) , 2( XX) ,
3( XXI ) , 4( XXI I ) , 5( XXI I I ) , 4( XXI V) , 3( XXV) , et c. . .

================================================


Consi der a st at e l ot t er y wher e you get t o choose 8 number s f r om1 t o 80, no r epet i t on
al l owed. The Lot t er y Commi ssi on chooses 11 f r omt hose 80 number s, agai n no r epet i t i on. You
wi n t he l ot t er y i f at l east 7 of your number s ar e t her e i n t he 11 chosen by t he Lot t er y
Commi ssi on.
What i s t he pr obabl i t y of wi nni ng t he l ot t er y?

Answer

The pr obabi l i t y of wi nni ng t he l ot t er y i s t wo i n one bi l l i on i . e. onl y t wo per son can wi n
f r omone bi l l i on ! ! !
Let ' s f i nd out sampl e space f i r st . The Lot t er y Commi ssi on chooses 11 number s f r omt he 80.
Hence, t he 11 number s f r omt he 80 can be sel ect ed i n 80C11 ways whi ch i s ver y ver y hi gh and
i s equal t o 1. 04776 * 1013

Now, you have t o sel ect 8 number s f r om80 whi ch can be sel ect ed i n 80C8 ways. But we ar e
i nt er est ed i n onl y t hose number s whi ch ar e i n 11 number s sel ect ed by t he Lot t er y Commi si on.
Ther e ar e 2 cases.

* You mi ght sel ect 8 number s whi ch al l ar e t her e i n 11 number s choosen by t he Lot t er y
Commi ssi on. So t her e ar e 11C8 ways.
* Anot her case i s you mi ght sel ect 7 l ucky number s and 1 non- l ucky number f r omt he
r emai ni ng 69 number s. Ther e ar e ( 11C7 ) * ( 69C1 ) ways t o do t hat .

So t ot al l ucky ways ar e
= ( 11C8 ) + ( 11C7 ) * ( 69C1 )
= ( 165) + ( 330) * ( 69)
= 165 + 22770
= 22935

Hence, t he pr obabi l i t y of t he wi nni ng l ot t er y i s
= ( Tot al l ucky ways) / ( Tot al Sampl e space)
= ( 22935) / ( 1. 04776 * 1013)
= 2. 1889 * 10- 9
i . e. 2 i n a bi l l i on.

=====================================


Wr i t e 1111. . . . . . ( 243 t i mes) i . e. a 243 di gi t number wi t h al l 1s.
Pr ove t hat i t i s di vi si bl e by 243.
Submi t t ed by : Si mat Goyal

Answer

Pr ove i t usi ng t he mat hemat i cal i nduct i on.
Fi r st her e ar e a coupl e of t hi ngs t o not e:

[ 1] A number whose di gi t s add up t o a mul t i pl e of t hr ee i s di vi sabl e by 3.
e. g. 369: 3+6+9=18: 1+8=9 whi ch i s a mul t i pl e of 3 hence 369 i s di vi sabl e by 3.

[ 2] Whenever a number ( X) i s mul t i pl i ed wi t h anot her number ( Y) t hen t he pr oduct ( X*Y) wi l l
have al l t he f act or s of X as wel l as al l t he f act or s of Y i n i t s set of f act or s.
e. g. i f X has f act or s of ( 1, P, Q, X) and Y has f act or s of ( 1, Q, R, Y) t hen X*Y has f act or s of
( 1, P, Q, Q, R, X, Y) .

Let
N = any ser i es of di gi t s ( e. g. N=369)
D = t he number of di gi t s i n N ( e. g. i f N=369 t hen D=3)
P = i s a number const r uct ed i n t he f ol l owi ng way : a 1, f ol l owed by ( D- 1) 0s, f ol l owed by
anot her 1, f ol l owed by ( D- 1) 0s, f ol l owed by anot her 1. ( e. g. i f N=369 t hen D=3 and P woul d
be 1001001) Not e t hat P wi l l al ways be di vi si bl e by 3.

Al so, i f we mul t i pl y N wi t h P we ar e essent i al l y r epeat i ng N f or ( D- 1) t i mes.
e. g. i f N=369 t hen D=3, P=1001001 and N*P=369369369

Let ' s st ar t wi t h N=111. I t i s cl ear t hat N i s di vi si bl e by 3. ( Fr om[ 1] )
Al so, D=3 and P=1001001
N*P=111111111 ( 9 t i mes)
The r esul t i ng number 111111111 must be di vi si bl e by 9 as N and P bot h ar e di vi si bl e by 3.

Now, l et ' s st ar t wi t h N=111111111. I t i s cl ear t hat N i s di vi si bl e by 9.
Al so, D=9 and P=1000000001000000001
N*P=111111111. . . ( 27 t i mes)
The r esul t i ng number 1111111. . . ( 27 t i mes) must be di vi si bl e by 27 as N i s di vi si bl e by 9
and P i s di vi si bl e by 3.

Repeat t he same pr ocedur e f or N=1111111. . . ( 27 t i mes) The r esul t i ng number 1111111. . . ( 81
t i mes) must be di vi si bl e by 81 as N i s di vi si bl e by 27 and P i s di vi si bl e by 3.
Si mi l ar l y, f or N=1111111. . . ( 81 t i mes) The r esul t i ng number 1111111. . . ( 243 t i mes) must be
di vi si bl e by 243 as N i s di vi si bl e by 81 and P i s di vi si bl e by 3.
Thus, 1111111. . . ( 243 t i mes) i s di vi si bl e by 243.
Thanks t o Ryan Hut cher son f or sol ut i on ! ! !

======================================


What ar e t he next t wo number s i n t he ser i es?
29, 11, 13, 17, 25, 32, 37, ?, ?

Answer

The next t wo number s ar e 47 and 58.
The pat t er n i s : Sumof t he di gi t s i n al l pr evi ous number s i n t he squence.

Fi r st Number = 29
Second Number = 2 + 9 = 11
Thi r d Number = ( 11) + 1 + 1 = 13
For t h Number = ( 13) + 1 + 3 = 17
Fi f t h Number = ( 17) + 1 + 7 = 25
Si xt h Number = ( 25) + 2 + 5 = 32
Sevent h Number = ( 32) + 3 + 2 = 37
Ei ght Number = ( 37) + 3 + 7 = 47
Ni nt h Number = ( 47) + 4 + 7 = 58

=================================



S E N D
+ M O R E
- - - - - - - - - -
M O N E Y

Submi t t ed by : Omesh Gar g

Answer

I t i s obvi ous t hat M=1.
I f S=9 and i f t her e i s a car r y, t he maxi mumval ue of O wi l l be 1. But M=1. Hence, O has t o
be 0.
Al so, S has t o be 9 as t her e i s no ot her way of get t i ng t ot al 10 f or S+M.
Now, N i s ( E+1) i . e. t her e must be a car r y f r om( N+R) . I t means t hat R must be 9 whi ch i s
al r eady assi gned t o S. Hence, R has t o be 8 and a car r y f r om( D+E) wi l l make R' s val ue 9.
Now, usi ng t r i al - n- er r or :

9 5 6 7 O=0, M=1, Y=2, E=5,
+ 1 0 8 5 N=6, D=7, R=8, S=9
- - - - - - - - - -
1 0 6 5 2

========================================


Fi nd t he l ast di gi t of summat i on of t he ser i es:
199 + 299 + 399 + 499 + + 9899 + 9999

Answer

The l ast di gi t of t he ser i es i s 0.
We gr oup t he sumas f ol l ow:
( 199 + 1199 + . . . + 9199) + ( 299 + 2299 + . . . 9299) + . . . . . . + ( 999 + 1999 + . . . + 9999) +
( 1099 + 2099 + 3099 + . . . 9099)

Al l t he t er ms i n a si ngl e gr oup have t he same l ast di gi t ( i . e. l ast di gi t s of 199 + 1199 +
. . . + 9199 ar e same, i s 1, & si mi l ar l y f or t he ot her gr oups) .

Al so, t her e ar e 10 t er ms i n each gr oup except f or t he l ast one. Ther ef or e t he l ast di gi t of
t he sumof t er ms i n f i r st 9 gr oups i s 0. ( as what ever be t he l ast di gi t , we have t o
mul t i pl y i t by 10) And t he l ast di gi t of t he sumof t he t er ms i n t he gr oup 10 i s obvi ousl y
0.
Hence, t he l ast di gi t of t he ser i es i s 0.

==================================================


A cer t ai n st r eet has 1000 bui l di ngs. A si gn- maker i s cont r act ed t o number t he houses f r om1
t o 1000. How many zer oes wi l l he need?

Answer

The si gn- maker wi l l need 192 zer oes.
Di vi de 1000 bui l di ng number s i nt o gr oups of 100 each as f ol l ow:
( 1. . 100) , ( 101. . 200) , ( 201. . 300) , . . . . . . . ( 901. . 1000)
For t he f i r st gr oup, si gn- maker wi l l need 11 zer oes.
For gr oup number s 2 t o 9, he wi l l r equi r e 20 zer oes each.
And f or gr oup number 10, he wi l l r equi r e 21 zer oes.

The t ot al number s of zer oes r equi r ed ar e
= 11 + 8*20 + 21
= 11 + 160 + 21
= 192

============================================================


A sol di er l ooses hi s way i n a t hi ck j ungl e. At r andomhe wal ks f r omhi s camp but
mat hemat i cal l y i n an i nt er est i ng f ashi on.
Fi r st he wal ks one mi l e East t hen hal f mi l e t o Nor t h. Then 1/ 4 mi l e t o West , t hen 1/ 8 mi l e
t o Sout h and so on maki ng a l oop.
Fi nal l y how f ar he i s f r omhi s camp and i n whi ch di r ect i on?

Answer

The sol di er i s 0. 8944 mi l es away f r omhi s camp t owar ds East - Nor t h.
I t i s obvi ous t hat he i s i n East - Nor t h di r ect i on.
Di st ance t r avel l ed i n Nor t h and Sout h di r ect i ons
= 1/ 2 - 1/ 8 + 1/ 32 - 1/ 128 + 1/ 512 - 1/ 2048 + and so on. . . ( a geomet r i c ser i es wi t h r = ( -
1/ 4) )
( 1/ 2) * ( 1 - ( - 1/ 4) n )
= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( 1 - ( - 1/ 4) )
= 1 / ( 2 * ( 1 - ( - 1/ 4) ) )
= 2/ 5

Si mi l ar l y i n East and West di r ect i ons
= 1 - 1/ 4 + 1/ 16 - 1/ 64 + 1/ 256 - and so on. . . ( a geomet r i c ser i es wi t h r = ( - 1/ 4) )
( 1) * ( 1 - ( - 1/ 4) n )
= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( 1 - ( - 1/ 4) )
= 1 / ( ( 1- ( - 1/ 4) )
= 4/ 5

So t he sol di er i s 4/ 5 mi l es away t owar ds East and 2/ 5 mi l es away t owar ds Nor t h. So usi ng
r i ght angl ed t r i angl e, sol di er i s 0. 8944 mi l es away f r omhi s camp.

========================================================


Ar r ange f i ve pl anet s such t hat 4 of t hemadd up t o 5t h pl anet numer i cal l y. Each of t he
l et t er s of t he pl anet shoul d r epr esent a uni que number f r omt he r ange 0 - 9. You have t o
use al l t en di gi t s.
Ther e i s an amazi ng mat hemat i cal r el at i onshi p exi st s among t he names of t he pl anet .

Answer

The t ought pr ocess i s i ni t i al l y t o f i nd pl anet s such t hat t he t ot al number of al phabet s i n
t hemi s 10.
The onl y possi bl e combi nat i on of pl anet s i s Sat ur n, Ur anus, Venus, Mar s and Nept une because
f or ot her combi nat i ons t her e wi l l be mor e t han 10 al phabet s. Among t hese f i ve, Nept une i s
t he l enght i est , so i t must be t he sumof t he ot her f our .

S A T U R N
U R A N U S
V E N U S
+ M A R S
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
N E P T U N E
Now t he onl y possi bl e val ue f or N i s 1. By f i ndi ng t he val ue f or S, we can r each t he
r esul t :

3 5 8 6 9 1
6 9 5 1 6 3
2 0 1 6 3
+ 4 5 9 3
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1 0 7 8 6 1 0

=================================


Ekt a got chocol at es t o gi ve her f r i ends on her Bi r t hday. I f she gi ves 3 chocol at es t o each
f r i end, one f r i end wi l l get onl y 2 chocol at es. Al so, i f she gi ves 2 chocol at es t o each
f r i ends, she wi l l l ef t wi t h 15 chocol at es.
How many chocol at es Ekt a got on her Bi r t hday? and how many f r i ends ar e t her e?

Answer

47 Chocol at es and 16 Fr i ends
Let ' s assume t hat t her e ar e t ot al C chocol at es and F f r i ends.
Accor di ng t o f i r st case, i f she gi ves 3 chocol at es t o each f r i end, one f r i end wi l l get onl y
2 chocol at es.
3*( F - 1) + 2 = C
Si mi l ar l y, i f she gi ves 2 chocol at es t o each f r i ends, she wi l l l ef t wi t h 15 chocol at es.
2*F + 15 = C
Sol vi ng above 2 equat i ons, F = 16 and C = 47. Hence, Ekt a got 47 chocol at es and 16 f r i ends.

===============================================


Fi ve execut i ves of a Cul t ur al Commi t t ee hol d a conf er ence i n Mumbai .
Mr . A conver ses i n Engl i sh and Mar at hi .
Mr . B conver ses i n Hi ndi and Engl i sh.
Mr . C conver ses i n Mar at hi and Hi ndi .
Mr . D conver ses i n Hi ndi and Guj ar at i .
Mr . E, a nat i ve Mar at hi , can al so conver se i n Guj ar at i .
I f a si xt h execut i ve i s br ought i n, t o be under st ood by t he maxi mumnumber of t he or i gi nal
f i ve, he shoul d be f l uent i n whi ch 2 l anguages?

Answer

The si xt h per son shoul d be f l uent i n Hi ndi & Mar at hi .
Fi nd out how many execut i ves can under st and each of t he l anguage.
Thr ee execut i ves speak Hi ndi - Mr . B, Mr . C and Mr . D. The ot her t wo execut i ves - Mr . A and
Mr . E, speak Mar at hi . Thus, t he si xt h execut i ve shoul d be f l uent i n Hi ndi and Mar at hi so
t hat or i gi nal f i ve execut i ves can conver se wi t h hi m.

==========================================


I f t oday i s Wednesday, what i s one day bef or e t he day, af t er t he day, t hr ee days af t er t he
day bef or e yest er day?
Submi t t ed by : J enni f er Reni ck

Answer

Thur sday
St ar t backwar ds.
Today i s Wednesday.
The day bef or e yest er day i s Monday.
Thr ee days af t er Monday i s Thur sday.
The day af t er Thur sday i s Fr i day
The day bef or e Fr i day i s Thur sday.

Al so, not e t hat t he f i r st t wo condi t i ons cancel each ot her out as one day bef or e t he day,
one day af t er t he day i s t he same day. Hence, i t can be r educed t o " t hr ee days af t er t he
day bef or e yest er day" .

====================================


Ben can never t el l a l i e, Geor ge can never t el l t he t r ut h.
One of t hemsai d, " The ot her one sai d he was Geor ge" .
Who sai d t hat ?
Submi t t ed by : Zachar y MOr r i son

Answer
The speaker i s Geor ge.
Si nce Ben cann' t l i e, he cann' t say t hat he i s Geor ge. Si mi l ar l y, si nce Geor ge cann' t t el l
t he t r ut h, he t oo cann' t say t hat he i s Geor ge. Thus, none of t hemcan say t hat he i s
Geor ge. I t means t hat t he speaker i s l yi ng. Hence, t he speaker must be Geor ge.

===================================================


A gi r l has a cer t ai n number of pet s. Al l but t wo ar e dogs, al l but t wo ar e cat s and al l but
t wo ar e goat s.
How many pet s does t hi s gi r l have?
Submi t t ed by : Ki mi

Answer

The answer i s 3 i . e. 1 dog, 1 cat and 1 goat
I t says " al l but t wo ar e dogs" , whi ch means t hat 2 ar e not dog. Si mi l ar l y, 2 ar e not cat
and 2 ar e not goat . Thus sol ut i on i s t her e ar e 3 pet s out of whi ch one i s dog, one i s cat
and one i s goat .
Al so, t her e i s one mor e aspect t o i t . The gi r l mi ght have onl y 2 pet s and none of t hemi s
dog or cat or goat .

===============================================


Ther e i s a f ami l y par t y consi st i ng of t wo f at her s, t wo mot her s, t wo sons, one f at her - i n-
l aw, one mot her - i n- l aw, one daught er - i n- l aw, one gr andf at her , one gr andmot her and one
gr andson.
What i s t he mi ni mumnumber of per sons r equi r ed so t hat t hi s i s possi bl e?

Answer

Ther e ar e t ot al 2 coupl es and a son. Gr andf at her and Gr and mot her , t hei r son and hi s wi f e
and agai n t hei r son. So t ot al 5 peopl e.
Gr andf at her , Gr andmot her
|
|
Son, wi f e
|
|
Son

===============================


I f a r ook and a bi shop of a st andar d chess set ar e r andoml y pl aced on a chessboar d, what i s
t he pr obabi l i t y t hat one i s at t acki ng t he ot her ?
Not e t hat bot h ar e di f f er ent col or ed pi eces.
Submi t t ed by : Eamon

Answer

The pr obabi l i t y of ei t her t he Rook or t he Bi shop at t acki ng t he ot her i s 0. 3611
A Rook and a Bi shop on a st andar d chessboar d can be ar r anged i n 64P2 = 64*63 = 4032 ways
Now, t her e ar e 2 cases - Rook at t acki ng Bi shop and Bi shop at t acki ng Rook. Not e t hat t he
Rook and t he Bi shop never at t ack each ot her si mul t aneousl y. Let ' s consi der bot h t he cases
one by one.

Case I - Rook at t acki ng Bi shop
The Rook can be pl aced i n any of t he gi ven 64 posi t i ons and i t al ways at t acks 14 posi t i ons.
Hence, t ot al possi bl e ways of t he Rook at t acki ng t he Bi shop = 64*14 = 896 ways

Case I I - Bi shop at t acki ng Rook
Vi ew t he chessboar d as a 4 co- cent r i c hol l ow squar es wi t h t he out er most squar e wi t h si de 8
uni t s and t he i nner most squar e wi t h si de 2 uni t s.

I f t he bi shop i s i n one of t he out er 28 squar es, t hen i t can at t ack 7 posi t i ons. I f t he
bi shop i s i n one of t he 20 squar es at next i nner - l evel , t hen i t can at t ack 9 posi t i ons.
Si mi l ar l y i f t he bi shop i s i n one of t he 12 squar es at next i nner - l evel , t hen i t can at t ack
11 posi t i ons. And i f t he bi shop i s i n one of t he 4 squar es at next i nner - l evel ( t he
i nner most l evel ) , t hen i t can at t ack 13 posi t i ons.

Hence, t ot al possi bl e ways of t he Bi shop at t acki ng t he Rook
= 28*7 + 20*9 + 12*11 + 4*13
= 560 ways

Thus, t he r equi r ed pr obabi l i t y i s
= ( 896 + 560) / 4032
= 13/ 36
= 0. 3611

===================================


Subst i t ut e di gi t s f or t he l et t er s t o make t he f ol l owi ng Di vi si on t r ue.

A L E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
C A R | E A R L Y
| C A R
- - - - - - - - - - -
R F F L
I L Y I
- - - - - - - - -
Y Y I Y
Y Y A U
- - - - - - - -
T

mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er Y, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her Y i n t he puzzl e must be 3.

Answer

A si mpl e one ! ! !

* A=1, as A*CAR=CAR
* F=0, as A- A=F and R- R=F
* I =2, as YYI Y- YYAU=T, hence I must be A+1
* R=3, as RFFL- I LYI =YYI , hence R must be I +1
* L=4, as RFFL- I LYI =YYI and I =2
* Y=5, as C13*4=24Y2
* C=6, as C13*4=2452
* E=9, as E- C=R
* U=7 and T=8

1 4 9
- - - - - - - - - - - -
6 1 3 | 9 1 3 4 5
| 6 1 3
- - - - - - - - - - - -
3 0 0 4
2 4 5 2
- - - - - - - - - - - -
5 5 2 5
5 5 1 7
- - - - - - - - - - - -
8

====================================


I f A+B=C, D- C=A and E- B=C, t hen what does D+F st ands f or ? Pr ovi de your answer i n l et t er
t er ms as wel l as i n number t er ms.

Answer

J or 10
A si mpl e one.
Assume t hat each char act er r epr esent s t he number equi val ent t o t he posi t i on i n t he al phabet
i . e. A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 4 and so on. Now l et ' s check our assumpt i on.
A + B = C i . e. 1 + 2 = 3
D - C = A i . e. 4 - 3 = 1
E - B = C i . e. 5 - 2 = 3
Thus, our assumpt i on was Cor r ect . Hence, D + F = J i . e. 4 + 6 = 10

===================================


Fi nd t he next t wo number s i n t he gi ven ser i es.
0 2 3 4 5 5 7 6 6 7 11 7 13 9 8 8 17 8 19 9 10 13 23 ? ?

Answer

The pat t er n i s - sumof f act or s i n pr i me f act or i zat i on of posi t i ve i nt eger s st ar t i ng wi t h
1. Not e t hat 1 i s not a Pr i me number .
I nt eger Pr i me Fact or i zat i on Sum
1 - 0
2 2 2
3 3 3
4 2*2 4
5 5 5
6 2*3 5
7 7 7
8 2*2*2 6
9 3*3 6
10 2*5 7
11 11 11
12 2*2*3 7
13 13 13
14 2*7 9
15 3*5 8
16 2*2*2*2 8
17 17 17
18 2*3*3 8
19 19 19
20 2*2*5 9
21 3*7 10
22 2*11 13
23 23 23
24 2*2*2*3 9
25 5*5 10
Hence, t he next number s i n t he ser i es ar e 9 10 15 9 11 29 10 31 10 14 19 12 10 37 21 16 11
41 12 43 15 11 25 47 11 14 12 . . . . .

=======================================


I n or der t o conduct t he wor k at st or e i t i s necessar y t o have a mi ni mumof t hr ee wor ker s
each day. The st af f consi st s of f i ve per sons who wor k on par t t i me basi s. Al i ce can wor k on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fr i days. Bet t y cannot r epor t f or wor k on Wednesdays. Car ol can
r epor t f or wor k on Tuesdays and Wednesdays onl y. Dor ot hy cannot wor k on Fr i days. Emmy i s
avai l abl e anyt i me except on t he f i r st Monday and Thur sday of t he mont h.
Dur i ng whi ch day of t he week, mi ght i t be i mpossi bl e t o conduct t he wor k at st or e? Not e
t hat t he st or e r emai ns cl ose on Sundays.

Answer

I t wi l l be i mpossi bl e t o conduct t he wor k on f i r st t hur sday.
Summar i zi ng t he avai l abi l i t y of st af f day- wi se.
Monday - Al i ce, Bet t y, Dor ot hy, Emmy ( except f i r st Monday)
Tuesday - Bet t y, Car ol , Dor ot hy, Emmy
Wednesday - Al i ce, Car ol , Dor ot hy, Emmy
Thur sday - Bet t y, Dor ot hy, Emmy ( except f i r st Thur sday)
Fr i day - Al i ce, Bet t y, Emmy
Sat ur day - Bet t y, Dor ot hy, Emmy
Bet t y and Dor ot hy ar e avai l abl e on al l Thur sday. Emmy i s al so avai l abl e on Thur sdays,
except f i r st Thur sday. Hence, on f i r st Thur sday i t wi l l be i mpossi bl e t o conduct t he wor k.

===============================


I n t he Gener al meet i ng of " Fr i ends Cl ub" , Sameer sai d, " The r epai r s t o t he Cl ub wi l l come
t o a t ot al of Rs 3120 and I pr opose t hat t hi s amount shoul d be met by t he member s, each
payi ng an equal amount . "
The pr oposal was i mmedi at el y agr eed. However , f our member s of t he Cl ub chose t o r esi gn,
l eavi ng t he r emai ni ng member s t o pay an ext r a Rs 26 each.
How many member s di d t he Cl ub or i gi nal l y have?

Answer

The Cl ub or i gi nal l y had 24 member s.
Assume t hat t her e wer e i ni t i al l y N member s.
As 4 member s r esi gned and r emai ni ng member s pai d Rs 26 each, i t means t hat t ot al amount of
4 member s i s equal t o Rs 26 each f r omr emai ni ng ( N- 4) member s. Thus,
4 * ( 3120 / N) = 26 * ( N - 4)
12480 = 26N2 - 104N
26N2 - 104N - 12480 = 0
Sol vi ng t he quadr at i c equat i on we get N=24.
Hence, t he Cl ub or i gi nal l y had 24 member s.

========================================


Fi nd t he smal l est number such t hat i f i t s r i ght most di gi t i s pl aced at i t s l ef t end, t he
new number so f or med i s pr eci sel y 50%l ar ger t han t he or i gi nal number .

Answer

The answer i s 285714.
I f i t s r i ght most di gi t i s pl aced at i t s l ef t end, t hen new number i s 428571 whi ch i s 50%
l ar ger t han t he or i gi nal number 285714.
The si mpl est way i s t o wr i t e a smal l pr ogr am. And t he ot her way i s t r i al and er r or ! ! !

===============================


Ther e ar e 10 boxes cont ai ni ng 10 bal l s each. 9 boxes cont ai n 10 bal l s of 10 kg each and one
box cont ai ns 10 bal l s of 9 kg each. Tool i s avai l abl e f or pr oper wei ghi ng. How can you f i nd
out t he box cont ai ni ng 9 kg bal l s?
You ar e al l owed t o wei gh onl y once. You can r emove bal l s f r omt he boxes. Al l bal l s ar e of
same si ze and col or .

Answer
1. Mar k t he boxes wi t h number s 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . upt o 10
2. Take 1 bal l f r ombox 1, t ake 2 bal l s f r ombox 2, t ake 3 bal l s f r ombox 3, t ake 4
bal l s f r ombox 4 and so on
3. Put al l of t hemon t he scal e at once and t ake t he measur ement .
4. Now, subt r act t he measur ement f r om550 ( 1*10 + 2*10 + 3*10 + 4*10 + 5*10 + 6*10 +
7*10 + 8*10 + 9*10 + 10*10)
5. The r esul t wi l l gi ve you t he box number whi ch has a bal l of 9 Kg

=====================================


At Uni ver si t y of Pr obabi l i t y, t her e ar e 375 f r eshmen, 293 sophomor es, 187 j uni or s, & 126
seni or s. One st udent wi l l r andoml y be chosen t o r ecei ve an awar d.
What per cent chance i s t her e t hat i t wi l l be a j uni or ? Round t o t he near est whol e per cent .

Answer

19%
Thi s puzzl e i s easy. Di vi de t he number of j uni or s ( 187) by t he t ot al number of st udent s
( 981) , & t hen mul t i pl y t he number by 100 t o conver t t o a per cent age.
Hence t he answer i s ( 187/ 981) *100 = 19%

======================================


To move a Saf e, t wo cyl i ndr i cal st eel bar s 7 i nches i n di amet er ar e used as r ol l er s.
How f ar wi l l t he saf e have moved f or war d when t he r ol l er s have made one r evol ut i on?

Answer

The saf e must have moved 22 i nches f or war d.
I f t he r ol l er s make one r evol ut i on, t he saf e wi l l move t he di st ance equal t o t he
ci r cumf er ence of t he r ol l er . Hence, t he di st ance cover ed by t he saf e i s
= PI * Di amet er ( or 2 * PI * Radi us)
= PI * 7
= 3. 14159265 * 7
= 21. 99115
= 22 i nches appr ox.

================================



Y F Y
- - - - - - - - - - -
A Y | N E L L Y
| N L Y
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
P P L
P N H
- - - - - - - - - -
N L Y
N L Y
- - - - - - - - - -
0 0 0

mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er N, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her N i n t he puzzl e must be 3.

Answer

See t he pat t er n of t he Y. AY * Y = NLY i . e. Y i s mul t i pl i ed by Y and t he l ast di gi t of t he
answer i s al so Y. Thus, t he val ue of Y woul d be 5 or 6.

Al so,
H=0 as L - H = L
P = 2N as P - N = N
L - Y = P = 2N
E - L = p

Let ' s f i nd out t he mi ni mumpossi bl e val ues. I f N=1, t hen P=2, Y=5, L=7 and E=9. Not e t hat
t he val ue of Y can not be 6 as i t makes L=8 and E=10 whi ch i s not possi bl e. Hence, Y=5,
N=1, P=2, L=7, E=9, H=0
Now, usi ng t r i al - n- er r or or r at her sol vi ng F*AY=PNH, we get F=6 and A=3.

5 6 5 Y F Y
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3 5 | 1 9 7 7 5 A Y | N E L L Y
| 1 7 5 | N L Y
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2 2 7 P P L
2 1 0 P N H
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1 7 5 N L Y
1 7 5 N L Y
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
0 0 0 0 0 0

===================================================


What ar e t he next t wo number s i n t he f ol l owi ng ser i es:
1, 1, 2, 6, 24, 20, 20, 40, 20, 80, ?, ?
Submi t t ed by : Kevi n

Answer

The next t wo number s i n t he ser i es ar e 00 and 00.
The pat t er en i s - l ast 2 di gi t s i . e. t he uni t s and t ens di gi t s of t he f act or i al of t he
i nt eger s, st ar t i ng f r om0.
Fi r st number = 0! = 1
Second number = 1! = 1
Thi r d number = 2! = 2
Four t h number = 3! = 6
Fi f t h number = 4! = 24
Si xt h number = 5! = 120 = 20
Sevent h number = 6! = 720 = 20
Ei ght h number = 7! = 5040 = 40
Ni net h number = 8! = 40320 = 20
Tent h number = 9! = 362880 = 80
El event h number = 10! = 3628800 = 00
Twel vet h number = 11! = 39916800 = 00

Hence, t he next t wo number s i n t he ser i es ar e 00 and 00.
Al so, not e t hat al l next number s i n t he gi ven ser i es ar e 00.

================================


Exami ne t he f ol l owi ng sequence of number s.
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221
1113213211
31131211131221
What ar e t he next t wo number s i n t he gi ven ser i es?

Answer

Each number i s a det ai l ed descr i pt i on of t he pr evi ous number .
Second number descr i bes f i r st number as one one i . e. 11
Thi r d number descr i bes second number as t wo ones i . e. 21
Four t h number descr i bes t hi r d number as one t wo, one one i . e. 1211
Fi f t h number descr i bes f our t h number as one one, one t wo, t wo ones i . e. 111221
Si xt h number descr i bes f i f t h number as t hr ee ones, t wo t wos, one one i . e. 312211
Fol l owi ng t he same, t he next t ow number s ar e 13211311123113112211 and
11131221133112132113212221

==================================


At what t i me af t er 4. 00 p. m. i s t he mi nut es hand of a cl ock exact l y al i gned wi t h t he hour
hand?

Answer

4: 21: 49. 5
Assume t hat X mi nut es af t er 4. 00 PM mi nut e hand exact l y al i gns wi t h and hour hand.
For ever y mi nut e, mi nut e hand t r avel s 6 degr ees.
Hence, f or X mi nut es i t wi l l t r avel 6 * X degr ees.
For ever y mi nut e, hour hand t r avel s 1/ 2 degr ees.
Hence, f or X mi nut es i t wi l l t r avel X/ 2 degr ees.
At 4. 00 PM, t he angl e bet ween mi nut e hand and hour hand i s 120 degr ees. Al so, af t er X
mi nut es, mi nut e hand and hour hand ar e exact l y al i gned. So t he angl e wi t h r espect t o 12
i . e. Ver t i cal Pl ane wi l l be same. Ther ef or e,
6 * X = 120 + X/ 2
12 * X = 240 + X
11 * X = 240
X = 21. 8182
X = 21 mi nut es 49. 5 seconds
Hence, at 4: 21: 49. 5 mi nut e hand i s exact l y al i gned wi t h t he hour hand.

=================================


A cl ass of 100 st udent s. 24 of t hemar e gi r l s and 32 ar e not . Whi ch base amI usi ng?

Answer

Let t he base be X.
Ther ef or e
( X*X + X*0 + 0) = ( 2*X +4) + ( 3*X + 2)
X*X = 5*X + 6
X*X - 5*X - 6 = 0
( X- 6) ( X+1) = 0
Ther ef or e base i s 6

================================


Two pl anes t ake of f at t he same exact moment . They ar e f l yi ng acr oss t he At l ant i c. One
l eaves New Yor k and i s f l yi ng t o Par i s at 500 mi l es per hour . The ot her l eaves Par i s and i s
f l yi ng t o New Yor k at onl y 450 mi l es per hour ( because of a st r ong head wi nd ) .
Whi ch one wi l l be cl oser t o Par i s when t hey meet ?

Answer

They wi l l bot h be t he same di st ance f r omPar i s when t hey meet ! ! !

==========================================


Next number i n t he ser i es i s 1, 2, 4, 13, 31, 112, ?

Answer

224
A t ough one. But anal yse t he ser i es car ef ul l y. No number has di gi t s mor e t han 4. So t r y t o
conver t t hemt o deci mal number s f r ombase 5 number s. ( j ust t r y t hat ) So i t t ur ns out t o be:
1, 2, 4, 8, 16 , 32 , ?
Got i t ! ! ! Next number shoul d be 64. But al l number s i n act ual ser i es ar e base 5 number s So
conver t 64 t o base 5 and t hat i s 224.

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A, B, C and D ar e r el at ed t o each ot her .
* One of t he f our i s t he opposi t e sex f r omeach of t he ot her t hr ee.
* D i s A' s br ot her or onl y daught er .
* A or B i s C' s onl y son.
* B or C i s D' s si st er .
How ar e t hey r el at ed t o each ot her ?

Answer

A, B & D ar e mal es; C i s f emal e. B i s C' s onl y son. A & D ar e C' s br ot her s.
A( mal e) - - - C( f emal e) - - - D( mal e)
|
|
B( mal e)

Wor k out whi ch r el at i on can hol d and di scar d t he cont r adi ct or y opt i ons.
Fr om( 2) and ( 4) , D can not be a onl y daught er and have a si st er ( B or C) . Hence, D i s A' s
br ot her i . e. D i s a Mal e.
Fr om( 4) , l et ' s say t hat B i s D' s si st er i . e. B i s Femal e.
Fr om( 3) , A i s C' s onl y son i . e. A i s Mal e.
But D i s A' s br ot her whi ch means t hat A i s not C' s onl y son. Hence, our assumpt i on was
wr ong.
Thus, C i s D' s si st er i . e. C i s Femal e. And B must be C' s onl y son.
Now i t i s cl ear t hat D & B ar e Mal es and C i s Femal e. A must be a Mal e as onl y one of t hem
i s of opposi t e sex f r omeach of t he ot her t hr ee. And he i s C & D' s br ot her .

=============================


At t he par t y t her e wer e 19 f emal es, 12 mal es, 14 adul t s and 17 chi l dr en. Then I ar r i ved and
t he number of di f f er ent man- woman coupl es possi bl e became equal t o t he number of boy- gi r l
coupl es possi bl e.
Who amI - a man, a woman, a boy or a gi r l ?
Not e t hat i f t her e wer e 9 boys and 8 gi r l s at t he par t y, t hen t her e woul d have been 72
( 9x8) boy- gi r l coupl es possi bl e.

Answer

I ama Gi r l and t her e wer e 9 men, 5 women, 3 boys and 14 gi r l s bef or e I ar r i ved at t he
par t y.
Bef or e I ar r i ved, l et M be t he number of mal e adul t s ( men) at t he par t y.
Then, t he number of f emal e adul t s ( women) = 14 - M
The number of boys = 12 - M
The number of gi r l s = 5 + M

Now, I ar r i ved at t he par t y and I amei t her a man or a woman or a boy or a gi r l . Let ' s
consi der each case one- by- one.

Case I : Let ' s assume t hat I ama Man. I t i s gi ven t hat af t er I ar r i ved, t he number of
di f f er ent man- woman coupl es possi bl e became equal t o t he number of boy- gi r l coupl es
possi bl e. Hence,

( M + 1) * ( 14 - M) = ( 12 - M) * ( 5 + M)
14M - M2 + 14 - M = 60 + 12M - 5M - M2
13M + 14 = 60 + 7M
6M = 46
Thi s i s i mpossi bl e as t he val ue of M must be i nt eger .

Case I I : Let ' s assume t hat I ama woman, t hen t he equat i on i s

( M) * ( 15 - M) = ( 12 - M) * ( 5 + M)
15M - M2 = 60 + 12M - 5M - M2
15M = 60 + 7M
8M = 60

Thi s i s al so i mpossi bl e as t he val ue of M must be i nt eger .

Case I I I : Let ' s assume t hat I ama boy, t hen t he equat i on i s

( M) * ( 14 - M) = ( 13 - M) * ( 5 + M)
14M - M2 = 65 + 13M - 5M - M2
14M = 65 + 6M
8M = 65

Thi s i s al so i mpossi bl e as t he val ue of M must be i nt eger .

Case I V: Let ' s assume t hat I ama gi r l , t hen t he equat i on i s

( M) * ( 14 - M) = ( 12 - M) * ( 6 + M)
14M - M2 = 72 + 12M - 6M - M2
14M = 72 + 6M
8M = 72
M = 9

Thus, I ama Gi r l and t her e wer e 9 men, 5 women, 3 boys and 14 gi r l s bef or e I ar r i ved at
t he par t y.

=========================================


The popul at i on of an i sl and consi st s of t wo and onl y t wo t ypes of peopl e : t he kni ght s, who
i nvar i abl y t el l t he t r ut h and t he knaves who al ways l i e.

* t hr ee of t he i nhabi t ant s cal l ed X, Y and Z wer e st andi ng t oget her . A newcomer t o t he
i sl and asked, " Ar e you a kni ght or a knave?" X mumbl ed hi s answer r at her i ndi st i nct l y, so
t he st r anger coul d not qui t e make out what he had sai d. The st r anger t han asked Y, " What
di d X say?" Y r epl i ed, " X sai d t hat he was a knave. " Wher eupon Z sai d, " Don' t bel i eve Y,
he' s l yi ng. " What ar e Y and Z?

* Suppose t hat t he st r anger asked X, i nst ead, " How many kni ght s among you?" Agai n X
r epl i es i ndi st i nct l y. So t he st r anger asks Y, " What di d X say?" Y r epl i es, " X sai d t hat
t her e i s one kni ght among us. " Then Z says, " Don' t bel i eve Y, he i s l yi ng! " Now what ar e Y
and Z?

* Ther e ar e onl y t wo i nhabi t ant s, X and Y. X says, " At l east one of us i s a knave. "
What ar e X and Y?

* Suppose X says, " Ei t her I ama knave, or Y i s a kni ght ?" What ar e X and Y?

* Consi der once mor e X, Y and Z each of who i s ei t her a kni ght or a knave. X says, " Al l
of us ar e knaves. " Y says, " Exact l y one of us i s a kni ght . " What ar e X, Y and Z?

Answer

Teaser 1 : A Si mpl e one. The st at ement made by Y i s f al se - " X sai d t hat he was a knave" .

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4
X Kni ght Kni ght Knave Knave
Y Kni ght Knave Kni ght Knave

Anal yse t he above 4 cases. I n al l t he cases st at ement made by Y i s cont r adi cor y and
t her ef or e f al se. Hence, Y i s Knave and Z i s Kni ght .

Teaser 2 : Agai n t he st at ement made by Y i s f al se - " X sai d t hat t her e i s one kni ght among
us" . Anal yse t hese st at ement wi t h 4 possi bl e cases as above. I n al l t he cases st at ement
made by Y i s f al se. Hence, Y i s Knave and Z i s Kni ght .

Teaser 3 : X i s Kni ght and Y i s Knave.

Teaser 4 : Bot h ar e Kni ght .

Teaser 5 : X and Z ar e Knaves, Y i s Kni ght .

======================================


Ther e wer e t wo men st andi ng on a st r eet . The one says t o t he ot her , " I have 3 daught er s,
t he pr oduct of t hei r ages i s 36. What i s t he age of t he OLDEST daught er ?"

The second guy says, " I need mor e i nf or mat i on. " So, t he f i r st guy says, " The sumof t hei r
ages i s equal t o t he addr ess of t he house acr oss t he st r eet . "

The second guy l ooks at t he addr ess and says, " I st i l l need mor e i nf or mat i on. " So, t he
f i r st guy says, " My ol dest daught er wear s a r ed dr ess. "

Answer

The answer i s 9 year s.

Fi r st you need t o f i nd al l t he possi bl e set s of t hr ee number s t hat when mul t i pl i ed equal s
36:

1 1 36
1 2 18
1 3 12
1 4 9
1 6 6
2 2 9
2 3 6
3 3 4

Then you add t he number s t oget her t o f i nd t he sum
1 1 36 = 38
1 2 18 = 21
1 3 12 = 16
1 4 9 = 14
1 6 6 = 13
2 2 9 = 13
2 3 6 = 11
3 3 4 = 10

Even t hough we don' t know t he addr ess t he guy knows i t . For hi mt o need mor e i nf or mat i on
t hat means t hat at l east t wo of t he set s of number s has t he same sum. Two of t hemdo, 1 6 6
and 2 2 9.

When t he f i r st guy sai d t hat hi s OLDEST daugher wear s a r ed dr ess t hat meant t hat t her e had
t o be t he ol dest . So 1 6 6 can' t possi bl y be t he answer . So t he possi bl e possi bl i t y i s 2 2
9 and t he OLDEST daught er i s 9 year s ol d.

Ther ef or e, t he answer i s 9.

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On Sunday, December 22, f our shi ps - W, X, Y, Z - st ar t ed t hei r ser i es of wi nt er cr ui ses t o
var i ous por t s.

* Shi p Wl ef t at 4: 00 PM on Sunday, December 22, f or a ser i es of 8- days cr ui ses t o
Mandva.
* Shi p X l ef t at 4: 30 PM on Sunday, December 22, f or a ser i es of al t er nat i ng 11- days
and 13- days cr ui ses t o Al i baug.
* Shi p Y l ef t at 5: 00 PM on Sunday, December 22, f or a ser i es of 5- days cr ui ses t o
Khi hi m.
* Shi p Z l ef t on Monday f or a ser i es of 7- days cr ui ses.

Each shi p i s schedul ed t o r et ur n back ear l y i n t he mor ni ng af t er t he l ast day of t he cr ui se
and l eave agai n l at e i n t he af t er noon of t he same day.

On how many days occasi ons bet ween December 22 and Febr uar y 28 wi l l t hr ee shi ps be moor ed
at t he por t ?

Answer

On no occasi ons ( ot her t han st ar t dat e December 22) bet ween December 22 and Febr uar y 28,
t hr ee shi ps wi l l be moor ed at t he por t .

Fi nd out t he days on when each shi p wi l l be i n por t :

* Shi p Wwi l l be i n por t on days 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, 49, 57 and 65.
* Shi p X wi l l be i n por t on days 1, 12, 25, 36, 49, 60 and 73.
* Shi p Y wi l l be i n por t on days 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46, 51, 56, 61 and
66.
* Shi p Z wi l l be i n por t on days 1, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 37, 44, 51, 58 and 65.

Fr omabove dat a, i t i s cl ear t hat - on no occasi on ( ot her t han December 22) wi l l t hr ee
shi ps be moor ed at t he por t .

Al so, on 8 occasi ons, t her e wi l l be 2 shi ps moor ed at t he por t .

=========================================


Ther e ar e 4 ar my men. They have been capt ur ed by a r ebel gr oup and have been hel d at
r ansom. An ar my i nt el l i gent of f i cer or der s t hemt o be bur r i ed deep i n di r t up t o t hei r
necks. The f or mat of t hei r bur r i al ar e as shown i n t he f i gur e.

Condi t i ons

* They each have hat s on t hei r heads. ei t her bl ack( b) or whi t e ( w) l ook at di agr am
above. Ther e ar e t ot al 2 whi t e hat s and 2 bl ack hat s.
* They onl y l ook i n f r ont of t hemnot behi nd. They ar e not al l owed t o communi cat e by
t al ki ng.
* Bet ween ar my man 1 and 2, t her e i s a wal l .
* Capt i ve man 4 can see t he col our of hat s on 2 and 3
* 3 can onl y see 2' s hat
* 2 can onl y see a wal l and 1 can see a wal l t oo, but i s on t he ot her si de

The of f i cer speaks up, " I f one of you can cor r ect l y t el l me t he col our of your hat , you
wi l l al l go scot t f r ee back t o your cont r i es. I f you ar e wr ong, you wi l l al l be ki l l ed.

How can one of t hembe cer t ai n about t he hat t hey ar e wear i ng and not r i sk t he l i ves of
t hei r f el l ow soul di er s by t aki ng a 50/ 50 guess!
Submi t t ed by : KWEKU

Answer

Ei t her sol di er 3 or sol di er 4 can save t he l i f e as sol di er 1 and sol di er 2 can not see
col our of any hat , even not t hei r own. . I n our case sol di er 3 wi l l t el l t he col our of hi s
hat .

Sol di er 4 can see t he hat on sol di er 2 and sol di er 3. I f bot h ar e whi t e, t hen he can be
sur e about col our of hi s hat whi ch wi l l be bl ack and vi ce- ver sa. But i f one of t hemi s
whi t e and one i s bl ack, t hen sol di er 4 can not say anyt hi ng as he can have ei t her of t hem.
So he wi l l keep mum.

I f sol di er 4 won' t say anyhi ng f or a whi l e, t hen sol di er 3 wi l l know t hat sol di er 4 i s not
i n posi t i on t o t el l t he col our of hat on hi s hat . I t means t hat col our of sol di er 3' s hat
i s opposi t e of col our of sol di er 2' s hat . So sol di er 3 can t el l cor r ect l y t he col our of hat
on hi s head whi ch i s Bl ack.

Her e, we ar e assumi ng t hat al l t he sol di er s ar e i nt el l i gent enough. Al so, t hi s sol ut i on
wi l l wor k f or any combi nat i on of 2 Bl ack hat s and 2 Whi t e hat s.

===============================================


I was si t t i ng ar ound wi t h my f r i end Dave, Mar t y and J ames r ecent l y. I happened t o have t wo
t i cket s t o a new movi e i n my pocket t hat I had j ust pur chased.
I ment i oned t hat t her e wer e t wo f our - di gi t number s on t he t i cket s and t hat t he sumof al l 8
di gi t s was 25.
Dave asked i f any di gi t appear ed mor e out of t he 8, whi ch I answer ed.
Then, Mar t y asked i f t he sumof t he di gi t s of ei t her t i cket was equal t o 13, whi ch I
answer ed t oo.
Much t o my sur pr i se J ames i mmedi at el y t ol d me what t he t wo number s wer e!
What wer e t hey?

Answer

Ti cket number s wer e 1299 and 1300.
The f i r st t hi ng J ames r eal i zed was t hat t he t i cket s wer e consecut i vel y number ed.

Ther e ar e 4 possi bl e cases:
1. ABCD and ABC( D+1)
2. ABC9 and AB( C+1) 0
3. AB99 and A( B+1) 00
4. A999 and ( A+1) 000

I f t he t i cket s wer e number ed ABCD and ABC( D+1) and my answer t o Mar t y' s quest i on had been
" YES" , t he onl y concl usi on J ames coul d have r eached woul d have been t hat A+B+C+D=12, and
r egar dl ess of my answer t o Dave' s quest i on t her e woul d not have been a uni que sol ut i on. So
my answer t o Mar t y' s quest i on must have been " NO" . I t f ol l ows t hat t he t i cket s coul d not
have been number ed i n t hi s manner .
I f t he number s wer e ABC9 and AB( C+1) 0, we woul d have 2A+2B+2C+10=25, and so 2( A+B+C) =15,
whi ch i s i mpossi bl e.
I f t he number s wer e AB99 and A( B+1) 00, we woul d have 2A+2B+19=25 or A+B=3, l eadi ng t o t he
f our possi bi l i t i es ( 0399 and 0400) , ( 1299 and 1300) , ( 2199 and 2200) , ( 3099 and 3100) . Of
t hese, t hr ee of t hemwoul d have had me answer " YES" t o Dave' s quest i on ( i f any di gi t
appear ed mor e?) , and onl y t he pai r ( 1299 and 1300) woul d have had me answer " NO" . I t
f ol l ows t hat t hese wer e my t i cket number s i . e. ( 1299 and 1300)
Si mi l ar l y, i f t he number s wer e A999 and ( A+1) 000, we woul d have 2A + 28 = 25, whi ch i s
agai n i mpossi bl e.
Thus, my t i cket number s wer e 1299 and 1300.

================================


Samand Mal a have a conver sat i on.
* Samsays I amcer t ai nl y not over 40
* Mal a says I am38 and you ar e at l east 5 year s ol der t han me
* Now Samsays you ar e at l east 39
Al l t he st at ement s by t he t wo ar e f al se. How ol d ar e t hey r eal l y?

Answer

Sami s 41 and Mal a i s 37.
Let ' s i nver t t he t easer and r ead i t l i ke t hi s :
* Samsays I amcer t ai nl y over 40
* Mal a says I amnot 38 and you ar e at most 4 year s ol der t han me
* Now Samsays you ar e at most 38
Fr omf i r st st at ement i t i s cl ear t hat Sami s over 40. Al so, f r omnext 2 st at ement s i t i s
cl ear t hat Mal a i s l ess t hen 38. Hence t he possi bi l i t i es ar e :
Sam= 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, . . . . . .
Mal a = 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, . . . . . .
I t al so says t hat t he di f f er ence bet ween t hei r age i s maxi mum4 year s. Hence, t her e i s onl y
one possi bl e pai r i . e. 41 and 37, al l ot her combi nat i on have di f f er ences mor e t hen 4.
Hence t he answer - Sami s 41 and Mal a i s 37.

======================================


Mr . Bl ack, Mr . Whi t e and Mr . Gr ey wer e chat t i ng i n t he Yahoo conf er ence. They wer e wear i ng
a bl ack sui t , a whi t e sui t and a gr ey sui t , not necessar i l y i n t he same or der .
Mr . Gr ey sent message, " We al l ar e wear i ng sui t t hat ar e of t he same col or as our names but
none of us i s wear i ng a sui t t hat i s t he same col or as hi s name. "
On t hat a per son wear i ng t he whi t e sui t r epl i ed, " What di f f er ence does t hat make?"
Can you t el l what col or sui t each of t he t hr ee per sons had on?

Answer

Mr . Gr ey i s wear i ng Bl ack sui t .
Mr . Whi t e i s wear i ng Gr ey sui t .
Mr . Bl ack i s wear i ng Whi t e sui t .
Mr . Gr ey must not be wear i ng gr ey sui t as t hat i s t he same col our as hi s name. Al so, he was
not wear i ng whi t e sui t as t he per son wear i ng whi t e sui t r esponded t o hi s comment . So Mr
Gr ey must be wear i ng a bl ack sui t .
Si mi l ar l y, Mr . Whi t e must be wear i ng ei t her bl ack sui t or gr ey sui t . But Mr . Gr ey i s
wear i ng a bl ack sui t . Hence, Mr . Whi t e must be wear i ng a gr ey sui t .
And, Mr . Bl ack must be wear i ng whi t e sui t .

========================================


I n t r ai ni ng f or a compet i t i on, you f i nd t hat swi mmi ng downst r eam( wi t h t he cur r ent ) i n a
r i ver , you can swi m2 mi l es i n 40 mi nut es, & upst r eam( agai nst t he cur r ent ) , you can swi m2
mi l es i n 60 mi nut es.
How l ong woul d i t t ake you t o swi ma mi l e i n st i l l wat er ?

Answer

You ar e abl e t o swi mdownst r eamat 3 mi l es an hour , & upst r eamat 2 mi l es an hour . Ther e i s
a di f f er ence of 1 mi l e an hour , whi ch i s t he r i ver hel pi ng you i n 1 di r ect i on, & sl owi ng
you i n t he ot her di r ect i on.
Aver age t he 2 r at es, & you have t he r at e t hat you can swi mi n st i l l wat er , whi ch i s 2. 5
mi l es an hour .
You can t hus swi ma mi l e i n st i l l wat er i n 24 mi nut es.

==================================


Thr ee convi ct s ar e br ought i nt o t he war den' s of f i ce. He says he can par ol e one of t hemand
t o deci de whi ch one he wi l l par ol e he t akes out 5 hat s ( 3 r ed and 2 whi t e) . He st ands
behi nd t hemand pl aces a hat on each one of t hei r heads and put s t he ot her t wo r emai ni ng
hat s i n a dr awer .
He t el l s t he pr i si oner s t hey can l ook at t he ot her s hat s and i f t hey can t el l whi ch hat
t hey have on t hey wi l l be t he one who i s par ol ed.
The f i r st man l ooks at t he ot her t wo and says, " I don' t know. "
The second man l ooks at t he ot her s hat s and says, " I don' t know. "
The t hi r d man who i s bl i nd says, " Even t hough I have not t he gi f t of si ght I can t el l by
what t he ot her s have sai d t hat t he col or of my hat i s. . . "
What col or i s t he bl i nd mans hat and how does he know?
Submi t t ed by : Anne Hanna

Answer

The col or of bl i nd man' s hat i s Red.
I t i s sur e t hat t he f i r st man saw ei t her bot h Red hat s or one Whi t e hat and one Red hat .
Ther e ar e 6 such possi bi l i t i es:

1) R R R
2) R R W
3) R W R
4) W R R
5) W R W
6) W W R

I n al l above possi bi l i t i es, t he f i r st man won' t be sur e of t he col or of hi s hat .
Now, t he second man knows t hat t he f i r st man saw ei t her bot h Red hat s or one Whi t e hat and
one Red hat . And, he al so knows t hat i t s one of t he above 6 possi bi l i t i es. ( l i ke we know
; ) ) But he says, " I don' t know" . That means t hat ( 2) and ( 5) ar e not t he possi bi l i t i es as
i n ei t her case he woul d be sur e of t he col or of hi s hat ( Red) by j ust l ooki ng at t he t hi r d
man' s col or of hat ( Whi t e) .
Now, t he bl i nd man knows t hat t her e ar e j ust 4 possi bi l i t i es - ( 1) , ( 3) , ( 4) , ( 6) - and i n
al l , t he col or of hi s hat i s Red.

==============================


Anni e, Bunni e, Candy and Di na vi si t ed Edy on 14t h Febr uar y.
1. The t i me of each vi si t was as f ol l ows:
- Anni e at 8: 00
- Bunni e at 9: 00
- Candy at 10: 00
- Di na at 11: 00
Each t i me ment i oned above may be ei t her AM or PM.
2. Candy di d not vi si t Edy bet ween Bunni e and Di na.
3. At l east one f emal e vi si t ed Edy bet ween Anni e and Bunni e.
4. Anni e di d not vi si t Edy bef or e bot h Candy and Di na.
Can you t el l at what t i me di d t hey i ndi vi dual l y vi si t Edy?

Answer

Bunni e ( 9: 00AM) - Di na ( 11: 00AM) - Anni e ( 8: 00PM) - Candy ( 10: 00PM)
Fr omt he gi ven dat a, i t i s cl ear t hat at l east one f emal e vi si t ed Edy i n t he mor ni ng and at
l east one f emal e vi si t ed Edy i n t he eveni ng. Al so, f r om( 4) , Anni e di d not vi si t Edy f i r st .
I t means t hat Anni e vi si t ed Edy at 8: 00 PM
Fr om( 3) , Bunni e must have vi si t ed Edy at 9: 00 AM. Al so, ei t her Candy or Di na or bot h
vi si t ed Edy i n t he mor ni ng.
But f r om( 2) , onl y Di na must have vi si t ed Edy i n t he mor ni ng at 11: 00 AM and hence, Candy
vi si t ed Edy at 10: 00 PM.
The or der of vi si t s must be:
Bunni e ( 9: 00AM) - Di na ( 11: 00AM) - Anni e ( 8: 00PM) - Candy ( 10: 00PM)

==================================


I bet you Rs. 100 t hat i f you gi ve me Rs. 200, I wi l l gi ve you Rs. 300 i n r et ur n.
Woul d you bet wi t h me? Why?

Answer

No, you shoul d not bet .
Let ' s say you bet and you gave Rs. 200 t o me. Now t her e ar e 2 possi bi l i t i es.

CASE I - I wi l l gi ve you Rs. 300
I f I gi ve you Rs. 300, t hen I wi l l wi n Rs. 100 bet . Thus, you have t o gi ve me Rs. 100. Thi s
i s NO WI N NO LOSE case.

CASE I I - I won' t gi ve you Rs. 300
I f I won' t gi ve you Rs. 300, t hen I wi l l l ose Rs. 100 bet . Thus, I have t o gi ve you Rs. 100
whi ch I wi l l gi ve you wi t h smi l e : - ) ( of cour se, f r omRs. 200 you gave me i ni t i al l y) Her e,
I wi l l make Rs. 100 and you wi l l l ose Rs. 100
So t he mor al - you shoul d not bet ! ! !

=============================


A sheet of paper has st at ement s number ed f r om1 t o 100. St at ement N says " Exact l y N of t he
st at ement s on t hi s sheet ar e f al se. "
How many st at ement s ar e t r ue?

Answer

Onl y One st at ement i s t r ue - St at ement 99
I f t hey ar e al l f al se, st at ement 100 woul d be t r ue i . e. " Exact l y 100 of t he st at ement s on
t hi s sheet ar e f al se" , whi ch i s cont r adi ct or y.
I f t ot al of 99 st at ement s ar e f al se, st at ement 99 woul d be t r ue i . e. " Exact l y 99 of t he
st at ement s on t hi s sheet ar e f al se" . That ' s t he answer - t ot al 99 st at ement s ar e f al se, and
st at ement 99 i s t r ue.
Tr y out f or al l r emai ni ng st at ement s, t hey al l wi l l cont r adi ct i t sel f .

=================================


Thr ee Gol d ( G) coi ns, t hr ee Si l ver ( S) coi ns and t hr ee Copper ( C) coi ns ar e ar r anged i n a
si ngl e r ow as f ol l ow:
G S C G S C G S C
* Onl y 2 adj acent unl i ke coi ns can be moved at any one t i me.
* The moved coi ns must be i n cont act wi t h at l east one ot her coi n i n l i ne. i . e. no pai r
of coi ns i s t o be moved and pl aced away f r omt he r emai ni ng ones.
* No coi n pai r s can be r ever sed i . e. a S- C combi nat i on must r emai n i n t hat or der i n i t s
new posi t i onwhen i t i s moved.
What i s t he mi ni mumnumber of moves r equi r ed t o get al l t he coi ns i n f ol l owi ng or der ?
C C C S S S G G G
Show al l moves.

Answer

Mi ni mumnumber of moves ar e 8.
Move Or der of Coi ns
0 G S C G S C G S C
1 G S G S C G S C C
2 G S C G S C C S G
3 G S C G S C C S G
4 G S C C S G S C G
5 G S C C S C S G G
6 G S C C C S S G G
7 C C C S S G G S G
8 C C C S S S G G G

- =======================================


What i s t he next number i n t he gi ven ser i es?
10^3, 10^9, 10^27, 10^2, 0, 4, 8, 3, ?
Not e t hat 10^3 means 10 r ai sed t o t he power of 3 i . e. 1000.

Answer

A t ought one ! ! !
The next number i n t he ser i es i s 5.
The pat t er n i s - t he ser i es of number s cont ai ni ng f i r st l et t er of t he Engl i sh al phabet
st ar t i ng f r om" A" .
10^3 = one t housAnd
10^9 = one Bi l l i on
10^27 = one oCt i l l i on
10^2 = one hunDr eD
0 = zEr o
4 = Four
8 = ei Ght
3 = t Hr ee
5 = f I ve
- =======================================


At what t i me i mmedi at el y pr i or t o Si x O' cl ock t he hands of t he cl ock ar e exact l y opposi t e
t o each ot her . Gi ve t he exact t i me i n hour s, mi nut es and seconds.

Answer

I t i s obvi ous t hat bet ween 5 O' cl ock and 6 O' cl ock t he hands wi l l not be exact l y opposi t e
t o each ot her . I t i s al so obvi ous t hat t he hands wi l l be opposi t e t o each ot her j ust bef or e
5 O' cl ock. Now t o f i nd exact t i me:

The hour hand moves 1 degr ee f or ever y 12 degr ees t hat t he mi nut e hand moves. Let t he hour
hand be X degr ee away f r om5 O' cl ock. Ther ef or e t he mi nut e hand i s 12X degr ee away f r om12
O' cl ock.

Ther ef or e sol vi ng f or X
Angl e bet ween mi nut e hand and 12 O' cl ock + Angl e bet ween 12 O' cl ock and 4 O' cl ock + Angl e
bet ween 4 O' cl ock and hour hand = 180
12X + 120 + ( 30- X) = 180
11X = 30
Hence X = 30/ 11 degr ees
( hour hand i s X degr ee away f r om5 O' cl ock)

Now each degr ee t he hour hand moves i s 2 mi nut es.
Ther ef or e mi nut es ar e
= 2 * 30/ 11
= 60/ 11
= 5. 45 ( means 5 mi nut es 27. 16 seconds)
Ther ef or e t he exact t i me at whi ch t he hands ar e opposi t e t o each ot her i s
= 4 hr s. 54 mi n. 32. 74 seconds

=====================================================


Dr . DoLi t t l e al ways goes wal ki ng t o t he cl i ni c and t akes t he same t i me whi l e goi ng and
whi l e comi ng back. One day he not i ced somet hi ng.
When he l ef t t he home, t he hour hand and t he mi nut e hand wer e exact l y opposi t e t o each
ot her and when he r eached t he cl i ni c, t hey wer e t oget her .
Si mi l ar l y, when he l ef t t he cl i ni c, t he hour hand and t he mi nut e hand wer e t oget her and
when he r eached t he home, t hey wer e exact l y opposi t e t o each ot her .
How much t i me does Dr . DoLi t t l e t ake t o r each home f r omt he cl i ni c? Gi ve t he mi ni mal
possi bl e answer .

Answer

32 mi nut es 43. 6 seconds

I n t wel ve hour s, t he mi nut e hand and t he hour hand ar e t oget her f or 11 t i mes. I t means t hat
af t er ever y 12/ 11 hour s, bot h t he hands ar e t oget her .
Si mi l ar l y i n t wel ve hour s, t he mi nut e hand and t he hour hand ar e exact l y opposi t e t o each
ot her f or 11 t i mes. I t means t hat af t er ever y 12/ 11 hour s, bot h t he hands ar e opposi t e.
Now, l et ' s t ake an exampl e. We know t hat at 12 bot h t he hands ar e t oget her and at 6 bot h
t he hands ar e exact l y opposi t e t o each ot her .
Af t er 6, bot h t he hands ar e i n opposi t i on at [ 6+( 12/ 11) ] hour s, [ 6+2*( 12/ 11) ] hour s,
[ 6+3*( 12/ 11) ] hour s and so on. The si xt h such t i me i s [ 6+6*( 12/ 11) ] hour s whi ch i s t he
f i r st t i me af t er 12. Thus af t er 12, bot h t he hands ar e opposi t e t o each ot her at 12: 32: 43. 6
Hence, Dr . DoLi t t l e t akes 32 mi nut es and 43. 6 seconds t o r each home f r omt he cl i ni c.

===============================================


Vi pul was st udyi ng f or hi s exami nat i ons and t he l i ght s went of f . I t was ar ound 1: 00 AM. He
l i ght ed t wo uni f or mcandl es of equal l engt h but one t hi cker t han t he ot her . The t hi ck
candl e i s supposed t o l ast si x hour s and t he t hi n one t wo hour s l ess. When he f i nal l y went
t o sl eep, t he t hi ck candl e was t wi ce as l ong as t he t hi n one.
For how l ong di d Vi pul st udy i n candl e l i ght ?

Answer

Vi pul st udi ed f or 3 hour s i n candl e l i ght .
Assume t hat t he i ni t i al l enght of bot h t he candl e was L and Vi pul st udi ed f or X hour s.

I n X hour s, t ot al t hi ck candl e bur nt = XL/ 6
I n X hour s, t ot al t hi n candl e bur nt = XL/ 4

Af t er X hour s, t ot al t hi ck candl e r emai ni ng = L - XL/ 6
Af t er X hour s, t ot al t hi n candl e r emai ni ng = L - XL/ 4

Al so, i t i s gi ven t hat t he t hi ck candl e was t wi ce as l ong as t he t hi n one when he f i nal l y
went t o sl eep.
( L - XL/ 6) = 2( L - XL/ 4)
( 6 - X) / 6 = ( 4 - X) / 2
( 6 - X) = 3*( 4 - X)
6 - X = 12 - 3X
2X = 6
X = 3
Hence, Vi pul st udi ed f or 3 hour s i . e. 180 mi nut es i n candl e l i ght .

============================================


Once a week a wagon dr i ver l eaves hi s hut and dr i ves hi s wagon t o t he r i ver dock t o pi ck up
suppl i es f or hi s t own. At 4: 05 PM, one- f i f t h of t he way t o t he dock, he passes t he Templ e.
At 4: 15 PM, one- t hi r d of t he way, he passes t he Pr eet am- Da- Dhabaa.
At what t i me does he r eached t he dock?

Answer

5: 05 PM

At 4: 05 PM, t he wagon dr i ver passes t he t empl e, one- f i f t h of t he way t o t he dock. Al so, at
4: 15 PM, he passes t he Pr eet am- Da- Dhabaa, one- t hi r d of t he way. Thus, he t r avel s 2/ 15 ( 1/ 3
- 1/ 5) of t he di st ance i n 10 mi nut es.
At 4: 15 PM, he has al r eady t r avel l ed 1/ 3 of t he di st ance. Thus 2/ 3 of t he way i s r emai ni ng,
whi ch can be t r avel l ed i n
= ( ( 2/ 3) * 10 ) / ( 2/ 15)
= 50 mi nut es
At 4: 15, he was at Pr eet am- Da- Dhabaa. and r emai ni ng way wi l l t ake 50 mor e mi nut es. Hence,
t he dr i ver wi l l r each at 5: 05 PM t o t he dock.

================================


I f t he day bef or e t wo days af t er t he day bef or e t omor r ow i s Monday, what i s t oday?
Submi t t ed by : Ryan El l i s

Answer

Today i s Sunday.
" t he day bef or e t omor r ow" i s t oday. Hence, t he quest i on can be r e- wr i t t en as " I f t he day
bef or e t wo days af t er t oday i s Monday, what i s t oday?"
Al so, " t he day bef or e t wo days af t er t oday" i s t omor r ow. Thus, t he quest i on i s " I f t omor r ow
i s Monday, what i s t oday?"
Thus, t oday i s Sunday.

================================


SkyFi ci t y i s ser ved by 6 subway l i nes - A, E, I , O, U and Z.
* When i t snows, mor ni ng ser vi ce on l i ne E i s del ayed.
* When i t r ai ns or snows, ser vi ce on t he l i nes A, U and Z i s del ayed bot h mor ni ng and
af t er noon.
* When t he t emper at ur e dr ops bel ow 20 C, af t er noon ser vi ce i s cancel l ed on ei t her l i ne
A or l i ne O, but not bot h.
* When t he t emper at ur e r i ses above 40 C, af t er noon ser vi ce i s cancel l ed on ei t her l i ne
I or l i ne Z, but not bot h.
* When ser vi ce on l i ne A i s del ayed or cancel l ed, ser vi ce on l i ne I i s al so del ayed.
* When ser vi ce on l i ne Z i s del ayed or cancel l ed, ser vi ce on l i ne E i s al so del ayed.
On Febr uar y 10, i t snows al l day wi t h t he t emper at ur e at 18C. On how many l i nes ser vi ce
wi l l be del ayed or cancel l ed, i ncl udi ng bot h mor ni ng and af t er noon?

Answer

The ser vi ce wi l l be del ayed or cancel l ed on 5 l i nes - A, E, I , U and Z except l i ne O.
Go t hr ough each st at ement and cr oss t he subway l i ne wi t h del ayed or cancel l ed ser vi ce.
I t i s gi ven t hat i t snows al l day wi t h t he t emper at ur e at 18C.
Fr om( 1) , l i ne E i s del ayed.
Fr om( 2) , l i ne A, U and Z ar e del ayed.
Fr om( 3) , ei t her l i ne A or l i ne O i s cancel l ed.
Fr om( 5) , l i ne I i s del ayed because of l i ne A del ay.
Fr om( 6) , l i ne E i s del ayed because of l i ne Z del ay.
As ser vi ce on l i ne A i s del ayed, ser vi ce on l i ne O can not be. Hence, ser vi ce wi l l be
del ayed or cancel l ed on 5 l i nes - A, E, I , U and Z except l i ne O.

==========================================


Mr . and Mr s. Bi r l a & Mr . and Mr s. Tat a compet ed i n a Chess t our nament . Of t he t hr ee games
pl ayed:
1. I n onl y t he f i r st game wer e t he t wo pl ayer s mar r i ed t o each ot her ,
2. The men won t wo games and t he women won one game.
3. The Bi r l as won mor e games t han t he Tat as.
4. Anyone who l ost a game di d not pl ay a subsequent game.
Who di d not l ose a game?

Answer

Mr s. Tat a di d not l ose a game.
Li st out al l t he possi bi l i t i es and r emove t he possi bi l i t i es whi ch cont r adi ct t he gi ven
condi t i ons.
Ther e ar e onl y 3 possi bi l i t i es:

1. Mr . Bi r l a won one game, Mr s. Bi r l a won one game and Mr . Tat a won one game.
2. Mr . Bi r l a one t wo games and Mr s. Bi r l a won one game.
3. Mr . Bi r l a won t wo games and Mr s. Tat a won one game.

I f ( I ) i s cor r ect , t hen Mr . Tat a beat s Mr s. Tat a i n t he f i r st game. Then Mr . Tat a woul d
have l ost t o ei t her Mr . Bi r l a or Mr s. Bi r l a i n t he second game. And Mr . and Mr s. Bi r l a
woul d have pl ayed t he t hi r d game whi ch cont r adi ct s t he st at ement ( 1) . So ( I ) i s not
cor r ect .
Si mi l ar l y, ( I I ) i s not cor r ect .
( I I I ) i s cor r ect . Mr . and Mr s. Bi r l a pl ayed t he f i r st game and Mr . Bi r l a won t he game. Mr .
Bi r l a won t he second game agai nst Mr . Tat a and l ost t he t hi r d game agai nst Mr s. Tat a.
Thus, onl y Mr s. Tat a di d not l ose a game.

=================================


Ei ght pl ayer s par t i ci pat ed i n t he r ecent BOOM Chess Tour nament .
Each pl ayer pl ayed al l of t he ot her s exact l y once. The wi nner of a game r ecei ved 1 poi nt
and a l oser 0; dr aws ar e al l owed, gi vi ng each pl ayer 1/ 2 poi nt .
Now, i t t ur ned out t hat ever yone r ecei ved a di f f er ent number of poi nt s. Fur t her mor e, Suj ay,
who came i n second, ear ned as many poi nt s as t he f our bot t omf i ni sher s put t oget her .
What was t he r esul t of t he game bet ween Par ag, who came i n t hi r d, and Manav, who came i n
f i f t h?

Answer

Par ag beat Manav.
Let X( i ) be t he scor e of t he per son who f i ni shed i n i t h pl ace.
I t i s cl ear t hat X( 2) cannot be 7. I f X( 2) = 6. 5, t hen t hi s woul d i mpl y t hat X( 1) = 7. But
t hen f i r st per son woul d have beat en ever yone. Hence, X( 2) cannot be 6. 5. Then X( 2) = 6.
Si nce i t i s gi ven t hat second per son ear ned as many poi nt s as t he f our bot t omf i ni sher s put
t oget her , X( 5) + X( 6) + X( 7) + X( 8) = X( 2) = 6
Now pl ayer s 5, 6, 7 and 8 pl ayed exact l y 6 games among t hemsel ves. I t means t hat nei t her
pl ayer 5, 6, 7 or 8 coul d have beat en or t i ed any of pl ayer s 1, 2, 3 or 4. Ot her wi se, t hi s
sumwoul d be gr eat er t han 6.
Thus, i t i s obvi ous t hat Par ag beat Manav.

========================================


Pappu, Nandu, Mamu and Chhot i par t i ci pat ed i n a POOL compi t i t i on.
FACTS
1. Ther e ar e t ot al of 15 bal l s.
2. For each bal l pot t ed, t he pl ayer wi l l r ecei ve one poi nt .
3. They al l wi l l pl ay each ot her once.
4. A game wi l l end when al l t he bal l s ar e pot t ed.
5. The wi nner wi l l be t he pl ayer who scor ed t he most poi nt s.
OUTCOMES
1. Chhot i f i ni shed wi t h 18 poi nt s.
2. Pappu f i ni shed wi t h odd number of poi nt s.
3. Mamu beat Chhot i by 5 poi nt s i n t he mat ch bet ween t hem.
4. Ther e was one poi nt di f f er ence i n mat ch bet ween Nandu and Pappu.
5. Pappu scor ed t wi ce as many poi nt s as Mamu i n t hei r game.
6. Chhot i scor ed one poi nt l ess agai nst Pappu t han he di d agai nst Mamu.
7. Mamu scor ed 7 poi nt s agai nst Nandu.
Who won t he compet i t i on? How many poi nt s di d each pl ayer scor e?

Answer

Let ' s put al l t he gi ven i nf or mat i on i n a t abul ar f or mat .
Pl ayer s P- N P- M P- C N- M N- C M- C Tot al
Pappu 7 or 8 10 11 - - - - - - - - - Odd poi nt s
Nandu 8 or 7 - - - - - - 8 - - -
Mamu - - - 5 - - - 7 - - - 10
Chhot i - - - - - - 4 - - - 5 18

* As Pappu f i ni shed wi t h odd number of poi nt s, he must have scor ed 8 poi nt s i n t he
mat ch agai nst Nandu.
* As Chhot i f i ni shed wi t h 18 poi nt s, he must have scor ed 9 poi nt s i n t he mat ch agai nst
Nandu.

Pl ayer s P- N P- M P- C N- M N- C M- C Tot al
Pappu 8 10 11 - - - - - - - - - 29
Nandu 7 - - - - - - 8 6 - - - 21
Mamu - - - 5 - - - 7 - - - 10 22
Chhot i - - - - - - 4 - - - 9 5 18
Hence, t he wi nner i s Pappu wi t h 29 poi nt s.
=================================================


Ti c- Tac- Toe i s bei ng pl ayed. One ' X' has been pl aced i n one of t he cor ner s. No ' O' has been
pl aced yet .
Wher e does t he pl ayer t hat i s pl ayi ng ' O' has t o put hi s f i r st ' O' so t hat ' X' doesn' t wi n?
Assume t hat bot h pl ayer s ar e ver y i nt el l i gent . Expl ai n your answer .
Submi t t ed by : Uyaghj

Answer

" O" shoul d be pl aced i n t he cent er .
Let ' s number t he posi t i ons as:

1 | 2 | 3
- - - - - - - - -
4 | 5 | 6
- - - - - - - - -
7 | 8 | 9

I t i s gi ven t hat " X" i s pl aced i n one of t he cor ner posi t i on. Let ' s assume t hat i t s at
posi t i on 1.
Now, l et ' s t ake each posi t i on one by one.

* I f " O" i s pl aced i n posi t i on 2, " X" can al ways wi n by choosi ng posi t i on 4, 5 or 7.
* I f " O" i s pl aced i n posi t i on 9, " X" can al ways wi n by choosi ng posi t i on 3, or 7.

I f " O" i s pl aced i n posi t i on 5 i . e. cent er posi t i on, " X" can' t wi n unl ess " O" does
somet hi ng f ool i sh ; ) )

Hence, " O" shoul d be pl aced i n t he cent er .

==============================================


12 member s wer e pr esent at a boar d meet i ng. Each member shook hands wi t h al l of t he ot her
member s bef or e & af t er t he meet i ng.
How many hand shakes wer e t her e?

Answer

132
Thi nk of i t t hi s way: t he f i r st per son shakes hands wi t h 11 peopl e, t he second per son al so
shakes hands wi t h 11 peopl e, but you onl y count 10, because t he hand shake wi t h t he f i r st
per son was al r eady count ed. Then add 9 f or t he t hi r d per son, 8 f or t he f our t h, & so on.
66 hand shakes t ook pl ace bef or e & 66 af t er t he meet i ng, f or a t ot al of 132.

====================================


I f you st ar t ed a busi ness i n whi ch you ear ned Rs. 1 on t he f i r st day, Rs. 3 on t he second
day, Rs. 5 on t he t hi r d day, Rs. 7 on t he f our t h day, & so on.
How much woul d you have ear ned wi t h t hi s busi ness af t er 50 year s ( assumi ng t her e ar e
exact l y 365 days i n ever y year ) ?

Answer

Rs. 333, 062, 500

To begi n wi t h, you want t o know t he t ot al number of days: 365 x 50 = 18250.
By exper i ment at i on, t he f ol l owi ng f or mul a can be di scover ed, & used t o det er mi ne t he amount
ear ned f or any par t i cul ar day: 1 + 2( x- 1) , wi t h x bei ng t he number of t he day. Take hal f of
t he 18250 days, & pai r t hemup wi t h t he ot her hal f i n t he f ol l owi ng way: day 1 wi t h day
18250, day 2 wi t h day 18249, & so on, & you wi l l see t hat i f you add t hese pai r s t oget her ,
t hey al ways equal Rs. 36500.
Mul t i pl y t hi s number by t he t ot al number of pai r s ( 9125) , & you have t he amount you woul d
have ear ned i n 50 year s.
Mat h gur us may use ser i es f or mul a t o sol ve i t . ( ser i es: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. . . . . upt o 18250 t er ms)

======================================


Ther e i s a per f ect spher e of di amet er 40 cms. r est i ng up agai nst a per f ect l y st r ai ght wal l
and a per f ect l y st r ai ght f l oor i . e. t he wal l and t he f l oor make a per f ect r i ght angl e.
Can a per f ect spher e of di amet er 7 cms. pass t hr ough t he space bet ween t he bi g spher e, t he
wal l and t he f l oor ? Suppor t your answer wi t h val i d ar gument s. Don' t submi t j ust " Yes" or
" No" .

Answer

For t he sake of si mpl i ci t y, consi der t wo- di mensi on i . e vi ew spher e as a t wo di mensi onal
ci r cl e wi t h di amet er 40 cms.

Fr omFi gur e I , ( 40 cms di amet er spher e)
OC2 = OD2 + CD2
OC2 = 202 + 202
OC = 28. 28427 cms

Al so, X i s t he cl osest poi nt t o or i gi n O on t he spher e.
CX = 20 cms ( r adi us)
OX = OC - CX
OX = 28. 28427 - 20
OX = 8. 28427 cms

Fr omFi gur e I I , ( 7 cms di amet er spher e)
OP2 = OQ2 + PQ2
OP2 = ( 3. 5) 2 + ( 3. 5) 2
OP = 4. 94974 cms

Al so, Y i s t he f ar t hest poi nt t o or i gi n O on t he spher e.
PY = 3. 5 cms ( r adi us)
OY = OP + PY
OY = 4. 94974 + 3. 5
OY = 8. 44974 cms

Now, as OY > OX i . e. smal l er spher e r equi r es mor e space t han t he space avai l abl e. Hence,
smal l er spher e of 7 cms di amet er can not pass t hr ough t he space bet ween t he bi g spher e, t he
wal l and t he f l oor .

The puzzl e can be sol ved by anot her met hod.
Dr aw a l i ne t angent t o t he bi g spher e at t he poi nt X such t hat X i s t he cl osest poi nt t o
t he or i gi n O on spher e. The t anget wi l l cut X and Y axes at A and B r espect i vel y such t hat
OA=OB. [ See Fi g I I I ] Fr omabove, OX=8. 28427 cms.

Fr omt he r i ght angl e t r i angl e OAB, we can deduct t hat
OA = OB = 11. 71572 cms
AB = 16. 56854 cms

Now, t he di amet er of t he i nscr i bed ci r cl e of r i ght angl e t r i angl e i s gi ven by d = a + b - c
wher e a <= b < c

The maxi mumpossi bl e di amet er of t he ci r cl e whi ch can pass t hr ough t he space bet ween t he
bi g spher e, t he wal l and t he f l oor i s
= OA + OB - AB
= 11. 71572 + 11. 71572 - 16. 56854
= 6. 86291 cms

Hence, t he spher e wi t h 7 cms di amet er can not pass t hr ough t he space bet ween t he bi g
spher e, t he wal l and t he f l oor .

=====================================


5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 5, 7, 6, ?, ?

Answer

The next t wo number s ar e 5, 5.
The pat t er n i s - t he number of l et t er s i n t he or di nal number s.
Fi r st = 5 l et t er s
Second = 6 l et t er s
Thi r d = 5 l et t er s
Four t h = 6 l et t er s
Fi f t h = 5 l et t er s
Si xt h = 5 l et t er s
Sevent h = 7 l et t er s
Ei ght h = 6 l et t er s
Ni nt h = 5 l et t er s
Tent h = 5 l et t er s
Hence, t he next t wo number s i n t he gi ven ser i es ar e 5 and 5.

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J i ml i es a l ot . He t el l s t he t r ut h on onl y one day i n a week.
One day he sai d: " I l i e on Mondays and Tuesdays. "
The next day he sai d: " Today i s ei t her Sunday, Sat ur day or Thur sday. "
The next day he sai d: " I l i e on Fr i days and Wednesdays. "
On whi ch day of t he week does J i mt el l t he t r ut h?

Answer

J i mt el l s t he t r ut h on Tuesday.
As J i mt el l s t r ut h onl y on one day i n a week, hi s st at ement on day 1 and day 3 bot h can not
be f al se. Ot her wi se he t el l s t r ut h on mor e t han one days i n a week. Al so, al l t hr ee
st at ement s ar e mad on t hr ee consecut i ve days, st at ement made on day 1 and day 3 bot h can
not be t r ue. Thus, ei t her t he st at ement made on day 1 or day 3 i s t r ue and ot her i s f al se.
Al so, t he st at ement made on day 2 must be f al se i . e. day 1 i s not Sat ur day, Fr i day or
Wednesday.
Let ' s assume t hat t he st at ement 1 i s t r ue. Then f r omt he st at ement 3, day 1 must be ei t her
Fr i day or Wednesday. But i t i s al r eady deduced t hat day 1 i s not Sat ur day, Fr i day or
Wednesday.
Hence, t he st at ement made on day 1 i s f al se and t he l ast st at ement i s t r ue. t hen f r omt he
st at ement 1, day 3 must be ei t her Monday or Tuesday. But i t i s al r eady deduced t hat day 1
can not be Sat ur day i . e. day 3 can' t be Monday. Hence, J i mt el l s t he t r ut h on Tuesday.

===================================


What t wo number s comes next i n t hi s ser i es?:
1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 15, 30, 31, ? ?
Submi t t ed by : Hannah Br ooks

Answer

Next t wo number s ar e 62 and 63.
The pat t er n i s doubl e t he number , add one, doubl e t he number , add one. . .
St ar t i ng wi t h 1, f or next number doubl e t he number = 2
For next number add one = 3
Agai n, doubl e t he number = 6
Next add one = 7 and so on . . .
Now at 31, f or next number doubl e t he number = 62
Add one f or next number = 63

=============================


The l et t er s P, Q, R, S, T, U and V, not necessar i l y i n t hat or der r epr esent s seven
consecut i ve i nt eger s f r om22 t o 33.
* U i s as much l ess t han Q as R i s gr eat er t han S.
* V i s gr eat er t han U.
* Q i s t he mi ddl e t er m.
* P i s 3 gr eat er t han S.
Can you f i nd t he sequence of l et t er s f r omt he l owest val ue t o t he hi ghest val ue?

Answer

The sequence of l et t er s f r omt he l owest val ue t o t he hi ghest val ue i s TUSQRPV.
Fr om( 3) , Q i s t he mi ddl e t er m.
___ ___ ___ _Q_ ___ ___ ___
Fr om( 4) , t her e must be exact l y 2 number s bet ween P and S whi ch gi ves t wo possi bl e
posi t i ons.
[ 1] ___ _S_ ___ _Q_ _P_ ___ ___
[ 2] ___ ___ _S_ _Q_ ___ _P_ ___

Fr om( 1) , t he number of l et t er s bet ween U and Q must be same as t he number of l et t er s
bet ween S and R. Al so, t he number of l et t er s bet ween t hemcan be 1, 2 or 3.
Usi ng t r i al and er r or , i t can be f ound t hat t her e must be 2 l et t er s bet ween t hem. Al so, i t
i s possi bl e onl y i n opt i on [ 2] above.

[ 2] ___ _U_ _S_ _Q_ _R_ _P_ ___
Fr om( 2) V must be t he hi ghest and t he r emai ni ng T must be t he l owest number .

_T_ _U_ _S_ _Q_ _R_ _P_ _V_
Thus, t he sequence of l et t er s f r omt he l owest val ue t o t he hi ghest val ue i s TUSQRPV.

===================================


Thr ee men - Sam, Camand Laur i e - ar e mar r i ed t o Car r i e, Bi l l y and Ti na, but not
necessar i l y i n t he same or der .
Sam' s wi f e and Bi l l y' s Husband pl ay Car r i e and Ti na' s husband at br i dge. No wi f e par t ner s
her husband and Camdoes not pl ay br i dge.
Who i s mar r i ed t o Cam?

Answer

Car r i e i s mar r i ed t o Cam.
" Sam' s wi f e and Bi l l y' s Husband pl ay Car r i e and Ti na' s husband at br i dge. "
I t means t hat Sami s not mar r i ed t o ei t her Bi l l y or Car r i e. Thus, Sami s mar r i ed t o Ti na.
As Camdoes not pl ay br i dge, Bi l l y' s husband must be Laur i e.
Hence, Car r i e i s mar r i ed t o Cam.

=========================================


Two i dent i cal pack of car ds A and B ar e shuf f l ed t hr oughl y. One car d i s pi cked f r omA and
shuf f l ed wi t h B. The t op car d f r ompack A i s t ur ned up. I f t hi s i s t he Queen of Hear t s,
what ar e t he chances t hat t he t op car d i n B wi l l be t he Ki ng of Hear t s?

Answer

52 / 2703
Ther e ar e t wo cases t o be consi der ed.

CASE 1 : Ki ng of Hear t s i s dr awn f r omPack A and shuf f l ed wi t h Pack B
Pr obabi l i t y of dr awi ng Ki ng of Hear t s f r omPack A = 1/ 51 ( as Queen of Hear t s i s not t o be
dr awn)
Pr obabi l i t y of havi ng Ki ng of Hear t s on t he t op of t he Pack B = 2/ 53
So t ot al pr obabi l i t y of case 1 = ( 1/ 51) * ( 2/ 53) = 2 / ( 51 * 53)

CASE 2 : Ki ng of Hear t s i s not dr awn f r omPack A
Pr obabi l i t y of not dr awi ng Ki ng of Hear t s f r omPack A = 50/ 51 ( as Queen of Hear t s i s not t o
be dr awn)
Pr obabi l i t y of havi ng Ki ng of Hear t s on t he t op of t he Pack B = 1/ 53
So t ot al pr obabi l i t y of case 2 = ( 50/ 51) * ( 1/ 53) = 50 / ( 51 * 53)
Now addi ng bot h t he pr obabi l i t y, t he r equi r ed pr obabi l i t y i s
= 2 / ( 51 * 53) + 50 / ( 51 * 53)
= 52 / ( 51 * 53)
= 52 / 2703
= 0. 0192378

====================================


How many ways ar e t her e of ar r angi ng t he si xt een bl ack or whi t e pi eces of a st andar d
i nt er nat i onal chess set on t he f i r st t wo r ows of t he boar d?
Gi ven t hat each pawn i s i dent i cal and each r ook, kni ght and bi shop i s i dent i cal t o i t s
pai r .
Submi t t ed by : Al ex Cr osse

Answer

6, 48, 64, 800 ways
Ther e ar e t ot al 16 pi eces whi ch can be ar r anged on 16 pl aces i n 16P16 = 16! ways.
( 16! = 16 * 15 * 14 * 13 * 12 * . . . . . * 3 * 2 * 1)
But , t her e ar e some dupl i cat e combi nat i ons because of i dent i cal pi eces.

* Ther e ar e 8 i dent i cal pawn, whi ch can be ar r anged i n 8P8 = 8! ways.
* Si mi l ar l y t her e ar e 2 i dent i cal r ooks, 2 i dent i cal kni ght s and 2 i dent i cal bi shops.
Each can be ar r anged i n 2P2 = 2! ways.
Hence, t he r equi r e answer i s
= ( 16! ) / ( 8! * 2! * 2! * 2! )
= 6, 48, 64, 800

============================

I n t he vi l l age cal l ed TALAJ A, onl y t hr ee TV channel s ar e avai l abl e - Moon Pl us, Mony and
Mee TV.
Out of 4000 TV vi ewer s i n t he vi l l age, 1500 wat ch Moon TV, 2000 wat ch Mony and 2500 wat ch
Mee TV.
Amongst t hese, 500 vi ewer s wat ch Moon Pl us and Mony, 800 wat ch Moon Pl us and Mee TV, and
1000 wat ch Mony and Mee TV.
How many vi ewer s wat ch al l t hr ee channel s?

Answer

300 vi ewer s wat ch al l t hr ee channel s.
Let ' s assume t hat t ot al X vi ewer s wat ch al l t hr ee channel s.
t ot al vi ewer s who wat ch onl y Moon Pl us and Mony = 500- X
t ot al vi ewer s who wat ch onl y Moon Pl us and Mee TV = 800- X
t ot al vi ewer s who wat ch onl y Mony and Mee TV = 1000- X

t ot al vi ewer s who wat ch onl y Moon Pl us
= 1500 - ( 500- X) - ( 800- X) - X
= 200 + X

t ot al vi ewer s who wat ch onl y Mony
= 2000 - ( 500- X) - ( 1000- X) - X
= 500 + X

t ot al vi ewer s who wat ch onl y Mee TV
= 2500 - ( 1000- X) - ( 800- X) - X
= 700 + X

We know t hat t ot al vi ewer s ar e 4000. Summi ng up al l 7 val ues,
X + ( 500 - X) + ( 800 - X) + ( 1000 - X) + ( 200 + X) + ( 500 + X) + ( 700 + X) = 4000
X + 3700 = 4000
X = 300
Hence, t ot al 300 vi ewer s wat ch al l t hr ee channel s.

============================================


Mr s. F has i nvi t ed sever al wi ves of del egat es t o t he Uni t ed Nat i ons f or an i nf or mal
l uncheon. She pl ans t o seat her 9 guest s i na r ow such t hat each l ady wi l l be abl e t o
conver se wi t h t he per son di r ect l y t o her l ef t and r i ght . She has pr epar ed t he f ol l owi ng
l i st .
Mr s. F speaks Engl i sh onl y.
Mr s. G speaks Engl i sh and Fr ench.
Mr s. H speaks Engl i sh and Russi an.
Mr s. J speaks Russi an onl y.
Mr s. K speaks Engl i sh onl y.
Mr s. L speaks Fr ench onl y.
Mr s. M speaks Fr ench and Ger man.
Mr s. N speaks Engl i sh and Ger man.
Mr s. O speaks Engl i sh onl y.
How many di st i nct seat i ng ar r angement s ar e possi bl e? Gi ve al l possi bl e seat i ng
ar r angement s.
Not e t hat ABCD and DCBA ar e t he same.

Answer

126 di st i nct seat i ng ar r angement s ar e possi bl e.
Mr s. J and Mr s. H must be t oget her and Mr s. J must be at t he end as Mr s. J speaks onl y
Russi an and Mr s. H i s t he onl y ot her Russi an speaker .
Mr s. L speaks onl y Fr ench and t her e ar e t wo ot her s - Mr s. G and Mr s. M - who speak Fr ench.
Her e t her e ar e 2 cases.

* CASE A : Mr s. L i s at t he ot her end
I f Mr s. L i s at t he ot her end, ei t her Mr s. G or Mr s. M must seat next t o her .

o CASE AA : Mr s. G seat s next t o Mr s. L
Then, Mr s. M must seat next t o Mr s. G and Mr s. N must seat next t o Mr s. M. Thi s
i s because Mr s. M speaks Fr ench and Ger man, and Mr s. N i s t he onl y ot her Ger man speaker .
Thus, t he possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement i s J HxxxNMGL, wher e x i s t he Engl i sh speaker s. Mr s.
F, Mr s. K and Mr s. O can be ar r anged i n r emai ni ng 3 posi t i ons i n 3! di f f er ent ways i . e. 6
ways.

o CASE AB : Mr s. M seat s next t o Mr s. L
I f so, t hen ei t her Mr s. N or Mr s. G must seat next t o Mr s. M

+ CASE ABA : Mr s. N seat s next t o Mr s. M
Thus, t he possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement i s J HxxxxNML, wher e x i s t he
Engl i sh speaker s. Mr s. F, Mr s. G, Mr s. K and Mr s. O can be ar r anged i n r emai ni ng 4
posi t i ons i n 4! di f f er ent ways i . e. 24 ways.

+ CASE ABB : Mr s. G seat s next t o Mr s. M
Thus, t he possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement i s J HxxxxGML, wher e x i s t he
Engl i sh speaker s. Mr s. F, Mr s. K, Mr s. N and Mr s. O can be ar r anged i n r emai ni ng 4

* CASE B : Mr s. L does not seat at t he end
I t means t hat Mr s. G, Mr s. L and Mr s. M must seat t oget her . Al so, Mr s. L must seat
bet ween Mr s. G and Mr s. M.

o CASE BA : Mr s. G seat s l ef t and Mr s. M seat s r i ght t o Mr s. L i . e. GLM

+ CASE BAA : GLM i s at t he ot her end
Thus, t he possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement i s J HxxxxGLM, wher e x i s t he
Engl i sh speaker s. Mr s. F, Mr s. K, Mr s. N and Mr s. O can be ar r anged i n r emai ni ng 4

+ CASE BAB : GLM i s not at t he ot her end
Then Mr s. N must seat next t o Mr s. M. Now, we have a gr oup of f our GLMN
wher e Mr s. G and Mr s. N speak Engl i sh. Thus, t he possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement i s J HxxxX,
wher e x i s t he i ndi vi dual Engl i sh speaker s and X i s t he gr oup of f our f emal es wi t h Engl i sh
speaker s at t he bot h ends. Thus, t her e ar e 4! di f f er ent ways i . e. 24 ways.

o CASE BB : Mr s. M seat s l ef t and Mr s. G seat s r i ght t o Mr s. L i . e. MLG
Then, Mr s. N must seat next t o Mr s. M. Now, we have a gr oup of f our NMLG wher e
Mr s. G and Mr s. N speak Engl i sh. Thus, t he possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement i s J HxxxX, wher e x
i s t he i ndi vi dual Engl i sh speaker s and X i s t he gr oup of f our f emal es wi t h Engl i sh speaker s
at t he bot h ends. Thus, t her e ar e 4! di f f er ent ways i . e. 24 ways.

Thus, t ot al di f f er ent possi bl e seat i ng ar r angement s ar e :
= 6 ( case AA) + 24 ( case ABA) + 24 ( case ABB) + 24 ( case BAA) + 24 ( case BAB) + 24 ( case
BB)
= 126 seat i ng ar r angement s

Thus, 126 di st i nct seat i ng ar r angement s ar e poosi bl e.

========================================


S L I D E
- D E A N
- - - - - - - - -
3 6 5 1

Each of seven di gi t s f r om0- 9 ar e r epr esent ed by a di f f er ent l et t er above such t hat t he
subt r act i on i s t r ue.
What wor d r epr esent s 3651?

Answer

3651 r epr esent s LENS.
Let ' s assi gn possi bl e val ues t o each l et t er and t hen use t r i al - n- er r or .
S must be 1.
Then D ( under L) must be gr eat er t han 5. I f D i s 6, t hen L i s 0. But t hen A must be 0 or 1
whi ch i s i mpossi bl e. Hence, t he possi bl e val ues of D ar e 7, 8 or 9.
N must be E + 1. Al so, D must be A + 5 as t he possi bl e val ues of D ar e 7, 8 or 9, D can not
be ( 10+A) + 5.
Now usi ng t r i al - n- er r or , we get S=1, I =2, L=3, A=4, N=5, E=6 and D=9
S L I D E 1 3 2 9 6
- D E A N - 9 6 4 5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3 6 5 1 L E N S
Hence, 3651 r epr esent s LENS.

=================================

Four men - Abr aham, Bobby, Cl i nt on and Deni al - ar e st andi ng i n a st r ai ght l i ne.
1. One man i s f ai r , handsome and unscar r ed.
2. Two men who ar e not f ai r , ar e each st andi ng next t o Abr aham.
3. Bobby i s t he onl y man st andi ng next t o exact l y one handsome man.
4. Cl i nt on i s t he onl y man not st andi ng next t o exact l y one scar r ed man.
Who i s f ai r , handsome and unscar r ed?

Answer

Cl i nt on i s f ai r , handsome and unscar r ed.
Fr om( 2) , bot h t he men st andi ng next t o Abr ahamar e not f ai r . Al so, exact l y one man i s
f ai r , handsomand unscar r ed. Hence, t her e ar e t wo cases:

Case 1 : : ? ( N, ?, ?) : Abr aham( Y, Y, N) : ? ( N, ?, ?) : ? ( ?, ?, ?)
Case 2 : : ? ( N, ?, ?) : Abr aham( ?, ?, ?) : ? ( N, ?, ?) : ? ( Y, Y, N)

Not e t he r epr esent at i on - Name ( Fai r , Handsome, Scar r ed) . " Y" st ands f or Yes and " N" st abds
f or No. Abr aham( Y, Y, N) means Abr ahami s Fai r , Handsome and Unscar r ed.
I t i s cl ear t hat ei t her Abr ahamor t he man at t he ext r eme r i ght i s f ai r , handsome and
unscar r ed.

Fr om( 4) , i t i s deduced t hat Cl i nt on i s st andi ng next t o unscar r ed man and each of t he
ot her men st andi ng next t o exact l y one scar r ed man.

Case 1 : : Cl i nt on ( N, ?, N) : Abr aham( Y, Y, N) : ? ( N, ?, Y) : ? ( ?, ?, Y)
Case 2 : : ? ( N, ?, Y) : Abr aham( ?, ?, Y) : ? ( N, ?, N) : Cl i nt on ( Y, Y, N)

Fr om( 3) , Bobby i s t he onl y man st andi ng next t o exact l y one handsome man. But i n Case 1,
Cl i nt on i s st andi ng next t o exact l y one handsome man. Hence, Case 1 i s not possi bl e and
Case 2 i s t he cor r ect one.

Case 2 : : ? ( N, ?, Y) : Abr aham( ?, ?, Y) : ? ( N, ?, N) : Cl i nt on ( Y, Y, N)
Agai n f r om( 3) and ( 4) , t her e ar e 2 possi bi l i t i es as shown bel ow.

Case 2a : : Deni al ( N, N, Y) : Abr aham( ?, N, Y) : Bobby ( N, N, N) : Cl i nt on ( Y, Y, N)
Case 2b : : Bobby ( N, N, Y) : Abr aham( ?, Y, Y) : Deni al ( N, N, N) : Cl i nt on ( Y, Y, N)
Thus, Cl i nt on i s f ai r , handsome and unscar r ed. Al so, Abr ahammay be ei t her f ai r or not
f ai r .

======================================


Adam, Bur zi n, Cl ar k and Edmund each l i ve i n an apar t ment . Thei r apar t ment s ar e ar r anged i n
a r ow number ed 1 t o 4 f r oml ef t t o r i ght . Al so, one of t hemi s t he l andl or d.
1. I f Cl ar k' s apar t ment i s not next t o Bur zi n' s apar t ment , t hen t he l andl or d i s Adamand
l i ves i n apar t ment 1.
2. I f Adam' s apar t ment i s r i ght of Cl ar k' s apar t ment , t hen t he l andl or d i s Edmund and
3. I f Bur zi n' s apar t ment i s not next t o Edmund' s apar t ment , t hen t he l andl or d i s Cl ar k
and l i ves i n apar t ment 3.
4. I f Edmund' s apar t ment i s r i ght of Adam' s apar t ment , t hen t he l andl or d i s Bur zi n and
Who i s t he l andl or d?

Answer

Cl ar k i s t he l andl or d.
Assume each st at ement t r ue, one at a t i me and see t hat no ot her st at ement i s cont r adi ct ed.
Let ' s assume t hat St at ement ( 1) i s t r ue. Then, Adami s t he l andl or d and l i ves i n apar t ment
1. Al so, ot her t hr ee' s apar t ment s wi l l be on t he r i ght of hi s apar t ment - whi ch cont r adi ct s
St at ement ( 4) i . e. I f Edmund' s apar t ment i s r i ght of Adam' s apar t ment , t hen t he l andl or d i s
Bur zi n. Thus, Adami s not t he l andl or d.

Let ' s assume t hat St at ement ( 2) i s t r ue. Then, Edmund i s t he l andl or d and l i ves i n
apar t ment 4. Al so, ot her t hr ee' s apar t ment s wi l l be on t he l ef t of hi s apar t ment - whi ch
agai n cont r adi ct s St at ement ( 4) i . e. I f Edmund' s apar t ment i s r i ght of Adam' s apar t ment ,
t hen t he l andl or d i s Bur zi n. Thus, Edmund i s not t he l andl or d ei t her .

Let ' s assume t hat St at ement ( 3) i s t r ue. Then, Cl ar k i s t he l andl or d and l i ves i n apar t ment
3. I t sat i sf i es al l t he st at ement s f or
( 1) Adam- ( 2) Edmund - ( 3) Cl ar k - ( 4) Bur zi n
Hence, Cl ar k i s t he l andl or d.
Si mi l ar l y, you can assume St at ement ( 4) t r ue and f i nd out t hat i t al so cont r adi ct s.

====================================


2, 11, 75, 700, 8476, ?, ?

Answer

The next t wo number s i n t he ser i es ar e 126125 and 2223277.
The pat t er n i s -

2 = 2^1
11 = 2^1 + 3^2
75 = 2^1 + 3^2 + 4^3
700 = 2^1 + 3^2 + 4^3 + 5^4
8476 = 2^1 + 3^2 + 4^3 + 5^4 + 6^5
126125 = 2^1 + 3^2 + 4^3 + 5^4 + 6^5 + 7^6
2223277 = 2^1 + 3^2 + 4^3 + 5^4 + 6^5 + 7^6 + 8^7
45269998 = 2^1 + 3^2 + 4^3 + 5^4 + 6^5 + 7^6 + 8^7 + 9^8

==================================


What i s t he ar ea of t he t r i angl e ABC wi t h A( e, p) B( 2e, 3p) and C( 3e, 5p) ?
wher e p = PI ( 3. 141592654)

Answer

A t r i cky ONE.
Gi ven 3 poi nt s ar e col i near . Hence, i t i s a st r ai ght l i ne.
Hence ar ea of t r i angl e i s 0.

======================================


The mi nut e and t he hour hand of a wat ch meet ever y 65 mi nut es.
How much does t he wat ch l ose or gai n t i me and by how much?

Answer

The mi nut e and t he hour hand meet 11 t i mes i n 12 hour s i n nor mal wat ch i . e. t hey meet af t er
ever y
= ( 12 * 60) / 11 mi nut es
= 65. 45 mi nut es
= 65 mi nut es 27. 16 seconds
But i n our case t hey meet af t er ever y 65 mi nut es means t he wat ch i s gai ni ng 27. 16 seconds.

=================================


Al l of t he st udent s at a col l ege ar e maj or i ng i n psychol ogy, busi ness, or bot h. 73%of t he
st udent s ar e psychol ogy maj or s, & 62%ar e busi ness maj or s.
I f t her e ar e 200 st udent s, how many of t hemar e maj or i ng i n bot h psychol ogy & busi ness?

Answer

70 st udent s ar e maj or i ng i n bot h, psychol ogy & busi ness
I f 73%of t he st udent s ar e psychol ogy maj or s, we know t hat 27%ar e not psychol ogy maj or s.
By t he same r easoni ng, 38%ar e not busi ness maj or s, because 62%of t he st udent s do maj or i n
busi ness. So: 27 + 38 = 65
65%of t he st udent s ar e not maj or i ng i n bot h psychol ogy & busi ness, so 35%ar e doubl e
maj or s, a t ot al of 70 st udent s.

===================================


What ar e t he next t wo number s i n t he ser i es?
34, 58, 56, 60, 42, 52, 65, ?, ?

Answer

The pat t er n i s : t he t ot al s of t he l et t er s i n t he wor ds ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FI VE, SI X,
SEVEN, EI GHT and NI NE when A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4 and so on.

Fi r st number = 15( O) + 14( N) + 5( E) = 34
Second Number = 20( T) + 23( W) + 15( O) = 58
Thi r d Number = 20( T) + 8( H) + 18( R) + 5( E) + 5( E) = 56
Four t h Number = 6( F) + 15( O) + 21( U) + 18( R) = 60
Fi f t h Number = 6( F) + 9( I ) + 22( V) + 5( E) = 42
Si xt h Number = 19( S) + 9( I ) + 24( X) = 52
Sevent h Number = 19( S) + 5( E) + 22( V) + 5( E) + 14( N) = 65
Ei ght Number = 5( E) + 9( I ) + 7( G) + 8( H) + 20( T) = 49
Ni nt h Number = 14( N) + 9( I ) + 14( N) + 5( E) = 42

==============================================


Gomzi has 3 t i mepi eces i n hi s house - a wal l cl ock, an al ar mcl ock and a wr i st wat ch. The
wr i st wat ch i s al ways accur at e, wher eas t he wal l cl ock gai ns 2 mi nut es ever yday and t he
al ar mcl ock l oses 2 mi nut es ever yday.
At exact l y mi dni ght l ast ni ght , al l t hr ee wat ches wer e showi ng t he same t i me.
I f t oday i s 25 J ul y 2003, t hen on whi ch dat e al l t hr ee cl ocks wi l l show t he same t i me
agai n?

Answer

Al l t hr ee cl ocks wi l l show t he same t i me agai n on mi dni ght bet ween 19 J ul y 2004 and 20 J ul y
2004.
A cl ock f i ni shes on r ound i n 12*60 i . e. 720 mi nut es.
I f a cl ock gai ns 2 mi nut es ever yday, t hen i t woul d be 720 mi nut es ahead af t er 360 days.
Thus, af t er 360 days, i t wi l l show t he same t i me agai n.
Si mi l ar y, i f a cl ock l oses 2 mi nut es ever yday, t hen i t woul d be 720 mi nut es behi nd af t er
360 days. Thus, af t er 360 days, i t wi l l show t he same t i me agai n.
Thus, af t er 360 days al l t hr ee cl ocks wi l l show t he same t i me agai n i . e. mi dni ght bet ween
19 J ul y 2004 and 20 J ul y 2004.

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A shi p went on a voyage. Af t er i t had t r avel l ed 180 mi l es a pl ane st at r t ed wi t h 10 t i mes
t he speed of t he shi p. Fi nd t he di st ance when t hey meet f r omst ar t i ng poi nt .

Answer

200 mi l es
Gi ven t hat speed of t he pl ane i s 10 t i mes t he speed of t he shi p. So i t i s obvi ous t hat t he
di st ance cover ed by pl ane wi l l be 10 t i mes t he di st ance cover ed by t he shi p f or t he gi ven
t i me.
i . e. Di st ance cover ed by pl ane = 10 * ( Di st ance cover ed by shi p af t er pl ane st ar t ed)
Now f r omt he gi ven dat a,
Di st ance cover ed by pl ane = 180 + Di st ance cover ed by shi p af t er pl ane st ar t ed
10 * ( Di st ance cover ed by shi p af t er pl ane st ar t ed) = 180 + Di st ance cover ed by shi p af t er
pl ane st ar t ed
9 * ( Di st ance cover ed by shi p af t er pl ane st ar t ed) = 180
Di st ance cover ed by shi p af t er pl ane st ar t ed = 20 mi l es
Tot al di st ance cover ed by shi p f r omst ar t i ng poi nt
= 180 + 20
= 200 mi l es

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Ther e ar e 4 bl ocks each wi t h 6 si des. Each si de has a l et t er f r omt he al phabet . No l et t er s
ar e ever r epeat ed. By ar r angi ng t he bl ocks i n di f f er ent ways t hey spel l al l t he wor ds
l i st ed bel ow:
BODY, MAZE, CURT, MOVE, DRAW, NOTE, FEAR, PI CK, HUNT, QUI T, J OKE, SNOB, KNEW, TYPE, LI FE
Can you f i gue out how t he l et t er s ar e ar r anged on t he 4 bl ocks?
Submi t t ed by : Di ana Ki m

Answer

( C, D, E, H, Q, S) , ( A, B, K, L, T, V) , ( F, O, P, U, W, Z) , ( I , J , M, N, R, Y)
Out of t he 26 l et t er s i n t he al phabet , G and X ar e not used.

Ther e ar e 7 wor ds wi t h l et t er ' E' - MAZE, MOVE, NOTE, FEAR, J OKE, KNEW, TYPE, LI FE. I t
means t hat none of t he l et t er s i n t hese 7 wor ds can be on t he same bl ock as t he l et t er ' E' .
Hence, t he ot her 5 l et t er s must be f r omB, C, D, H, Q, S, U.

As BODY i s one of t he possi bl e wor d, B and D can not be on t he same bl ock. Si mi l ar y, C and
U al so can not be on t he same bl ock as CURT i s one of t he possi bl e wor d. Hence, E, H, Q, S
ar e on t he same bl ock.

Al so, S and B can not be on t he same bl ock ( SNOB) . Q and U can not be on t he same bl ock
( QUI T) . Hence, f i r st Bl ock cont ai ns C, D, E, H, Q, S

Now, wr i t e down 4 r ows each wi t h A t o Z, except G and X. Take each wor d one by one, r emove
not possi bl e l et t er s and ci r cl e t he possi bl e l et t er s.

The l et t er s on f our bl ocks ar e:
Bl ock 1 : C, D, E, H, Q, S
Bl ock 2 : A, B, K, L, T, V
Bl ock 3 : F, O, P, U, W, Z
Bl ock 4 : I , J , M, N, R, Y

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A posi t i ve i nt eger t hat , when added t o 1000 gi ves a sumwhi ch i s gr eat er t han when
mul t i pl i ed by 1000.
Fi nd t he posi t i ve i nt eger .

Answer
The posi t i ve i nt eger i s 1.
Sumof 1 and 1000 = 1 + 1000 = 1001
Mul t i pl i cat i on of 1 and 1000 = 1 * 1000 = 1000
Thus, sumof 1 and 1000 i s gr eat er t han t he mul t i pl i cat i on of 1 and 1000.

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What number s do X and Y r epr esent i n t he f ol l owi ng ser i es:
2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, X, Y

Answer

X=56 and Y=72
The pat t er n i s t he mul t i pl i cat i on of t wo consecut i ve number s st at i ng wi t h 1.

Fi r st number = 1 * 2 = 2
Second number = 2 * 3 = 6
Thi r d number = 3 * 4 = 12
For t h number = 4 * 5 = 20
Fi f t h number = 5 * 6 = 30
Si xt h number = 6 * 7 = 42
Sevent h number = 7 * 8 = 56
Ei ght h number = 8 * 9 = 72

Al t er nat i vel y, t he pat t en can be def i ned as addi ng a const ant af t er i ncr ement i ng i t by 2 t o
t he pr evi ous number .

Fi r st number = 2
Second number = 2 + 4 = 6
Thi r d number = 6 + 6 = 12
For t h number = 12 + 8 = 20
Fi f t h number = 20 + 10 = 30
Si xt h number = 30 + 12 = 42
Sevent h number = 42 + 14 = 56
Ei ght h number = 56 + 16 = 72

=================================


Subst i t ut e di gi t s f or t he l et t er s t o make t he f ol l owi ng addi t i on pr obl emt r ue.
O N E
N I N E
T W E N T Y
+ F I F T Y
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E I G H T Y

Answer

G=0, H=1, Y=2, T=3, E=4, I =5, W=6, F=7, N=8, O=9
I t i s obvi ous t hat E = T + 1
Al so, 2E + 2Y = Y i . e. 2E + Y must be ei t her 10 or 20 and Y must be an even number . Thus,
possi bl e val ues of ( E, Y) pai r ar e ( 4, 2) ( 9, 2) ( 3, 4) ( 8, 4) ( 2, 6) ( 7, 6) ( 1, 8) ( 6, 8)
Now, t aki ng each pai r i ndi vi dual l y, onl y one pai r makes t he addi t i on t r ue.
O N E 9 8 4
N I N E 8 5 8 4
T W E N T Y 3 6 4 8 3 2
+ F I F T Y + 7 5 7 3 2
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E I G H T Y 4 5 0 1 3 2

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3 bl ocks ar e chosen r andoml y on a chessboar d. What i s t he pr obabi l i t y t hat t hey ar e i n t he
same di agonal ?

Answer

Ther e ar e t ot al of 64 bl ocks on a chessboar d. So 3 bl ocks can be chosen out of 64 i n 64C3
ways.
So t he sampl e space i s = 41664
Ther e ar e 2 di agonal on chessboar d each one havi ng 8 bl ocks. Consi der one of t hem.
3 bl ocks out of 8 bl ocks i n di agonal can be chosen i n 8C3 ways.
But t her e ar e 2 such di agonal s, hence f avour abl es = 2 * 8C3 = 2 * 56 = 112
The r equi r e pr obabi l i t y i s
= 112 / 41664
= 1 / 372
= 0. 002688

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Ther e wer e N st at i ons on a r ai l r oad. Af t er addi ng X st at i ons 46 addi t i onal t i cket s have t o
be pr i nt ed.
Fi nd N and X.

Answer

Let bef or e addi ng X st at i ons, t ot al number of t i cket s
t = N( N- 1)
Af t er addi ng X st at i ons t ot al number of t i cket s ar e
t + 46 = ( N+X) ( N+X- 1)
Subt r act i ng 1st f r om2nd
46 = ( N+X) ( N+X- 1) - N( N- 1)
46 = N2 + NX - N + NX + X2 - X - N2 + N
46 = 2NX + X2 - X
46 = ( 2N - 1) X + X2
X2 + ( 2N - 1) X - 46 = 0
Now t her e ar e onl y t wo possi bl e f act or s of 46. They ar e ( 46, 1) and ( 23, 2)

Case I : ( 46, 1)
2N - 1 = 45
2N = 46
N = 23
And X = 1

Case I I : ( 23, 2)
2N - 1 = 21
2N = 22
N = 11
And X = 2

Hence, t her e ar e 2 possi bl e answer s.

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Bel ow i s a Qui z wr i t t en by Ei nst ei n i n t he l st cent ur y.
He sai d 98%of t he peopl e i n t he wor l d cannot sol ve t he qui z. Ar e you among t he ot her 2%?
FACTS
1. Ther e ar e 5 houses i n 5 di f f er ent col or s.
2. I n each house l i ves a per son wi t h a di f f er ent nat i onal i t y.
3. These 5 owner s dr i nk a cer t ai n bever age, smoke a cer t ai n br and of ci gar and keep a
cer t ai n pet .
4. No owner s have t he same pet , smoke t he same br and of ci gar or dr i nk t he same dr i nk.

HI NTS

1. The Br i t l i ves i n a r ed house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pet s.
3. The Dane dr i nks t ea.
4. The gr een house i s on t he i mmedi at e l ef t of t he whi t e house.
5. The gr een house owner dr i nks cof f ee.
6. The per son who smokes Pal l Mal l r ear s bi r ds.
7. The owner of t he yel l ow house smokes Dunhi l l .
8. The man l i vi ng i n t he house r i ght i n t he cent er dr i nks mi l k.
9. The Nor wegi an l i ves i n t he f i r st house.
10. The man who smokes bl end l i ves next t o t he one who keeps cat s.
11. The man who keeps hor ses l i ves next t o t he man who smokes Dunhi l l .
12. The owner who smokes Bl ue Mast er dr i nks beer .
13. The Ger man smokes Pr i nce.
14. The Nor wegi an l i ves next t o t he Bl ue House.
15. The man who smokes bl end has a nei ghbor who dr i nks wat er .

THE QUESTI ON I S. . . . WHO KEEPS FI SH?

Ther e i s no t r i ck t o t hi s - i t needs deduct i ve r easoni ng and def i ni t el y a pen and paper .

Answer

Nat i onal i t y Bever age Ci gar Pet House Col or
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nor wegi an Wat er Dunhi l l Cat Yel l ow
Dane Tea Bl end Hor ses Bl ue
Br i t Mi l k Pal l Mal l Bi r d Red
Ger man Cof f ee Pr i nce Fi sh Gr een
Swede Beer Bl ue Mast er Dog Whi t e

Ther ef or e t he answer i s t he Ger man.
I wonder i f U coul d wor k i t out by r eal i zi ng t hat Ei nst i en was a ger man and kept f i sh but
t hat woul d pr obabl y be cheat i ng : )
Ther e i s one mor e possi bl e answer , i f we r emove " i mmedi at e" f r omt he Hi nt 4 i . e. r ead i t as
" The gr een house i s on t he l ef t of t he whi t e house, not necessar i l y on t he i mmedi at e l ef t "

Nat i onal i t y Bever age Ci gar Pet House Col or
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nor wegi an Cof f ee Bl end Fi sh Gr een
Ger man Wat er Pr i nce Cat s Bl ue
Swede Mi l k Dunhi l l Dogs Yel l ow
Br i t Beer Bl ue Mast er Hor ses Red
Dane Tea Pal l Mal l Bi r ds Whi t e

Thus, ei t her Ger man or Nor wegi an keeps t he Fi sh, i f t he gr een house i s not necessar i l y on
t he i mmedi at e l ef t of t he whi t e house.
Thanks t o Kat i e Cr owe and f r i ends f or t he second answer ! ! !

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Do you know t he mi ssi ng number i n t he gi ven ser i es?
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, ___ , 100, 121, 10000

Answer

The mi ssi ng number i s 31.
The pat t er n i s - Si xt een i n t he base n f or n = 16, 15, . . . , 2.

16 i n t he base 16 = 10
16 i n t he base 15 = 11
16 i n t he base 14 = 12
16 i n t he base 13 = 13
16 i n t he base 12 = 14
16 i n t he base 11 = 15
16 i n t he base 10 = 16
16 i n t he base 9 = 17
16 i n t he base 8 = 20
16 i n t he base 7 = 22
16 i n t he base 6 = 24
16 i n t he base 5 = 31
16 i n t he base 4 = 100
16 i n t he base 3 = 121
16 i n t he base 2 = 10000
Thus, t he compl et e ser i es i s - 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, 31, 100, 121,
10000

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Fi ve hor ses r an i n t he r ace.
* Ther e wer e no t i es.
* Si kandar di d not come f i r st .
* St ar was nei t her f i r st nor l ast .
* Mughal Gl or y came i n one pl ace af t er Si kandar .
* Zozo was not second.
* Rangi l a was t wo pl ace bel ow Zozo.
I n what or der di d t he hor ses f i ni sh?

Answer

I t ' s si mpl e.
Let ' s f i nd t he possi bl e pl aces hor ses can f i ni sh. Possi bi l i t i es ar e:
Si kandar - 2, 3, 4 ( not 5t h as Mughal Gl or y came one pl ace af t er hi m)
St ar - 2, 3, 4
Mughal Gl or y - 3, 4, 5
Zozo - 1, 3 ( not 4t h & 5t h as Rangi l a i s t wo pl ace af t er hi m)
Rangi l a - 3, 5
So t he r esul t i s:
1 Zozo
2 St ar
3 Rangi l a
4 Si kandar
5 Mughal Gl or y

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Pi nt o says, " The hor se i s not Bl ack. "
Sandy says, " The hor se i s ei t her Br own or Gr ey. "
Andy says, " The hor se i s Br own. "
At l east one i s t el l i ng t r ut h and at l east one i s l yi ng.
Can you t el l t he col or of t he hor se?

Answer

The col or of t he hor se can be any col or ot her t han Bl ack and Br own.
I f t he col or of t he hor se i s Bl ack - al l ar e l yi ng.
I f t he col or of t he hor se i s Br own - al l ar e t el l i ng t r ut h.
Thus, t he hor se i s nei t her Bl ack nor Br own.
I f t he col or of t he hor se i s Gr ey - Pi nt o and Sandy ar e t el l i ng t r ut h wher eas Andy i s
l yi ng.
I f t he col or of t he hor se i s ot her t han Bl ack, Br own and Gr ey - Pi nt o i s t el l i ng t r ut h
wher eas Sandy and Andy ar e l yi ng.
You must have not i ced t hat f or t he gi ven condi t i ons, Pi nt o i s al ways t el l i ng t r ut h wher eas
Andy i s al ways l yi ng.

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A camp- f i r e was at t ended by 49 f r i ends. Af t er shaki ng hands, each of t hemsat on t he r ound
t abl e and cl i nked t hei r mug wi t h t he f r i ends t o hi s i mmedi at e l ef t and i mmedi at e r i ght .
How many t i mes di d t he mugs cl i nk?

Answer

49 t i mes
Let ' s assume t hat ever yone cl i nked t hei r mug wi t h f r i end t o hi s l ef t onl y. I t means t hat
t her e ar e t ot al 49 cl i nks. Now t he r i ght cl i nk of each per son i s l ef t cl i nk of t he per son
on r i ght whi ch i s al r eady happened. Hence, t her e ar e onl y 49 cl i nks.

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I n t he f i r st One- day I nt er nat i onal Cr i cket mat ch bet ween I ndi a and Engl and at Lor ds, t he
bowl i ng honour s i n t he I ndi an t eamwas shar ed by Kapi l Dev, Madanl al and Bi nni .
1. Ei t her Kapi l t ook hal f t he wi cket s or one of t he pl ayer s was r un out .
2. Ei t her Kapi l t ook 5 wi cket s and Bi nni t ook 3 or Madanl al t ook one mor e t han Bi nni .
3. The sumof Kapi l ' s vi ct i ms and t wi ce of Madanl al ' s vi ct i ms i s one mor e t han t hr ee
t i mes Bi nni ' s vi ct i ms.
Can you t el l t he number of wi cket s each of t hemt ook?

Answer

St at ement ( 3) can be r epr esent ed as K + 2M = 3B + 1
wher e,
K - wi cket s t aken by Kapi l Dev
M - wi cket s t aken by Madanl al
B - wi cket s t aken by Bi nni

Let ' s consi der st at ement ( 2) . I f Kapi l t ook 5 wi cket s and Bi nni t ook 3 wi cket s, t hen f r om
equat i on above, Madanl al shoul d have t aken t wo- and- a- hal f wi cket s whi ch i s i mpossi bl e.
Hence, Madanl al t ook one mor e t han Bi nni i . e. M = B + 1

Subst i t ut e M = B + 1 i n f i r st equat i on,
K + 2M = 3B + 1
K + 2( B + 1) = 3B + 1
K + 2B + 2 = 3B + 1
K = B - 1

Now consi der st at ement ( 1) . I f Kapi l t ook hal f t he wi cket s i . e. 5 wi cket s, Bi nni shoul d
have t aken 6 wi cket s and Madanl al shoul d have t aken 7 wi cket s. But t hi s i s i mpossi bl e as
t her e ar e j ust 10 wi cket s. Hence, one pl ayer was r un out and t ot al wi cket s t aken by t hem
must be 9.
K + M + B = 9
( B - 1) + ( B + 1) + B = 9
B = 3 wi cket s.

Hence, wi cket s t aken by Kapi l , Madanl al and Bi nni ar e 2, 4 and 3 r espect i vel y.

Ther e ar e 2 mor e possi bl e answer s as t ot al number of wi cket s f al l en i s not speci f i ed. I n
t he above answer , we assumed maxi mumwi cket s i . e. 10.

* 10 wi cket s : Kapi l =2, Madanl al =4, Bi nni =3, Runout =1

==================================================


Mr . X want s t o send Di amond Neckl ace t o hi s f i ancee Y who l i ves i n some ot her count r y. Mr .
X put s t he Di amond Neckl ace i nsi de a box t o par cel . Not e t hat :
1. The par cel must be l ocked.
2. The box i s made up of such a mat er i al t hat nobody can br eak i t .
3. The box has a handl e l ar ge enough t o put a l ock on i t .
4. Mr . X can not send a key wi t h t he par cel .
5. Combi nat i on l ocks and t el ephones ar e not avai l abl e.
How wi l l Mr . X send Di amond Neckl ace t o hi s f i ancee Y?

Answer

Mr . X and hi s f i ancee Y wi l l f ol l ow t he f ol l owi ng st eps.
1. Mr . X wi l l put Di amond Neckl ace i nsi de a box and wi l l l ock i t .
2. He wi l l send t he par cel t o hi s f i ancee Y, wi t hout t he key.
3. Y wi l l put her l ock on i t and wi l l send box back t o Mr . X.
4. Mr . X wi l l r emove hi s l ock and wi l l send t he box back t o Y.
5. Y wi l l r emove her l ock and wi l l r ecei ve t he Neckl ace.

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My house has a number .
1. I f my house number i s a mul t i pl e of 3, t hen i t i s a number f r om50 t hr ough 59.
2. I f my house number i s not a mul t i pl e of 4, t hen i t i s a number f r om60 t hr ough 69.
3. I f my house number i s not a mul t i pl e of 6, t hen i t i s a number f r om70 t hr ough 79.
What i s my house number ?

Answer

The house number i s 76.
Fr om( 1) and ( 3) , t he house number must be f r om50 t o 59 or 70 t o 79. Take any number . I t
wi l l be ei t her mul t i pl e of 3 or not . Al so, a number mul t i pl e of 6 i s al ways a mul t i pl e of
3. Hence, t he house number can be 51, 54, 57, 70, 71, 73, 74, 76, 77 or 79.
Fr om( 2) , i f t he house number i s not a mul t i pl e of 4, t hen i t i s a number f r om60 t hr ough
69. Ther e i s not a si ngl e number bet ween 60 and 69 i n shor t - l i st ed number s above. Hence,
t he house number must be a mul t i pl e of 4 i . e. 76
Hence, t he house number i s 76.

=============================================

The secr et agent X emai l ed some code t o hi s head of f i ce. They ar e " RADAR, LEVEL, ROTOR,
REDI VI DER, MOTOR" . But f our of t hese f i ve wor ds have somet hi ng i n common and one i s f ake.
Can you t el l whi ch one i s f ake? I gnor e t he f act t hat f our of t he code- wor ds ar e of t he same
l engt h.

Answer

The f ake code- wor d i s MOTOR.
Al l t he code- wor ds except MOTOR ar e Pal i ndr omes.

============================================


I n a cer t ai n year , t he number of gi r l s who gr aduat ed f r omCi t y Hi gh School was t wi ce t he
number of boys. I f 3/ 4 of t he gi r l s and 5/ 6 of t he boys went t o col l ege i mmedi at el y af t er
gr aduat i on, what f r act i on of t he gr aduat es t hat year went t o col l ege i mmedi at el y af t er
gr aduat i on?

Answer

Assume t hat number of boys gr aduat ed f r omCi t y Hi gh School = B
Ther ef or e, number of gi r l s gr aduat ed f r omCi t y Hi gh School = 2*B
I t i s gi ven t hat 3/ 4 of t he gi r l s and 5/ 6 of t he boys went t o col l ege i mmedi at el y af t er
gr aduat i on.
Hence, t ot al st udent s went t o col l ege
= ( 3/ 4) ( 2*B) + ( 5/ 6) ( B)
= B * ( 3/ 2 + 5/ 6)
= ( 7/ 3) B
Fr act i on of t he gr aduat es t hat year went t o col l ege i mmedi at el y af t er gr aduat i on
= [ ( 7/ 3) B] / [ 3*B]
= 7/ 9
Ther ef or e, t he answer i s 7/ 9

================================


Subst i t ut e number s f or t he l et t er s so t hat t he f ol l owi ng mat hemat i cal expr essi ons ar e
cor r ect .
ABC DEF GHI
- - - = I E - - - = I E - - - = I E
3 6 9
Not e t hat t he same number must be used f or t he same l et t er whenever i t appear s.

Answer

A=2, B=1, C=9, D=4, E=3, F=8, G=6, H=5, I =7

Let ' s st ar t wi t h GHI = 9 * I E. Not e t hat I appear s on bot h t he si de. Al so, af t er
mul t i pl yi ng I E by 9 t he answer shoul d have I at t he uni t ' s pl ace. The possi bl e val ues of I E
ar e 19, 28, 37, 46, 55, 64, 73, 82 and 91; out of whi ch onl y 64, 73 and 82 sat i sf i es t he
condi t i on. ( as al l al phabet shoul d r epr esent di f f er ent di gi t s)

Now, consi der DEF = 6 * I E. Out of t hr ee shor t - l i st ed val ues, onl y 73 sat i sf i es t he
equat i on. Al so, ABC = 3 * I E i s sat i sf i ed by 73.

Hence, A=2, B=1, C=9, D=4, E=3, F=8, G=6, H=5, I =7

219 438 657
- - - = 73 - - - = 73 - - - = 73
3 6 9

==============================================


I f 6 x 4 = 12
8 x 6 = 32
11 x 8 = 66
t hen 10 x 10 = ??
Submi t t ed by : Ni ck Chi ment i

Answer

80

The pat t er n i s mul t i pl y t he f i r st number by second af t er r educi ng second number by 2. One
can vi ew i s as f ol l ow:

6 x ( 4 - 2) = 12
8 x ( 6 - 2) = 32
11 x ( 8 - 2) = 66
10 x ( 10 - 2) = 80

=================================


What ar e t he next 2 number s i n t he pat t er n?
2, 7, - 1, 10, - 4, 13, _, _
Submi t t ed by : Rob Van Dam

Answer

The next t wo number ar e - 7 and 16

The pat t er n i s : To get odd posi t i on number , subt r act 3 f r omt he pr evi ous odd posi t i on
number . Si mi l ar l y, t o get even posi t i on number , add 3 t o t he pr evi ous even posi t i on number .

The odd posi t i on number s ar e : 2, - 1, - 4
The next odd posi t i on number s ar e : - 7, - 10, - 13 and so on.

The even posi t i on number s ar e : 7, 10, 13
The next even posi t i on number s ar e : 16, 19, 22 and so on.

Hence t he ser i es i s 2, 7, - 1, 10, - 4, 13, - 7, 16, - 10, 19 . . . .

======================================


Pooj a and Esha met each ot her af t er l ong t i me. I n t he cour se of t hei r conver sat i on, Pooj a
asked Esha her age. Esha r epl i ed, " I f you r ever se my age, you wi l l get my husbund' s age. He
i s of cour se ol der t han me. Al so, t he di f f er ence bet ween our age i s 1/ 11t h of t he sumof
our age. "
Can you hel p out Pooj a i n f i ndi ng Esha' s age?

Answer

Esha' s age i s 45 year s.
Assume t hat Esha' s age i s 10X+Y year s. Hence, her hunsbands age i s ( 10Y + X) year s.
I t i s gi ven t hat di f f er ence bet ween t hei r age i s 1/ 11t h of t he sumof t hei r age. Hence,
[ ( 10Y + X) - ( 10X + Y) ] = ( 1/ 11) [ ( 10Y + X) + ( 10X + Y) ]
( 9Y - 9X) = ( 1/ 11) ( 11X + 11Y)
9Y - 9X = X + Y
8Y = 10X
4Y = 5X
Hence, t he possi bl e val ues ar e X=4, Y=5 and Esha' s age i s 45 year s.

=======================================


An ant hr opol ogi st di scover s an i sol at ed t r i be whose wr i t t en al phabet cont ai ns onl y si x
l et t er s ( cal l t he l et t er s A, B, C, D, E and F) . The t r i be has a t aboo agai nst usi ng t he
same l et t er t wi ce i n t he same wor d. I t ' s never done.

I f each di f f er ent sequence of l et t er s const i t ues a di f f er ent wor d i n t he l anguage, what i s
t he maxi mumnumber of si x- l et t er wor ds t hat t he l anguage can empl oy?
Submi t t ed by : Shel l ey

Answer

The l anguage can empl oy maxi mumof 720 si x- l et t er wor ds.
I t i s a si mpl e per mut at i on pr obl emof ar r angi ng 6 l et t er s t o get di f f er ent si x- l et t er
wor ds. And i t can be done i n i n 6! ways i . e. 720 ways.
I n ot her wor ds, t he f i r st l et t er can be any of t he gi ven 6 l et t er s ( A t hr ough F) . Then,
what ever t he f i r st l et t er i s, t he second l et t er wi l l al ways be f r omt he r emai ni ng 5 l et t er s
( as same l et t er can not be used t wi ce) , and t he t hi r d l et t er al ways be f r omt he r emai ni ng 4
l et t er s, and so on. Thus, t he di f f er ent possi bl e si x- l et t er wor ds ar e 6*5*4*3*2*1 = 720

=========================================


1/ 3 r d of t he cont ent s of a cont ai ner evapor at ed on t he 1st day. 3/ 4t h of t he r emai ni ng
cont ent s of t he cont ai ner evapor at ed on t he second day.
What par t of t he cont ent s of t he cont ai ner i s l ef t at t he end of t he second day?

Answer

Assume t hat cont ent s of t he cont ai ner i s X
On t he f i r st day 1/ 3r d i s evapor at ed.
( 1 - 1/ 3) of X i s r emai ni ng i . e. ( 2/ 3) X
On t he Second day 3/ 4t h i s evapor at ed. Hence,
( 1- 3/ 4) of ( 2/ 3) X i s r emai ni ng
i . e. ( 1/ 4) ( 2/ 3) X = ( 1/ 6) X
Hence 1/ 6t h of t he cont ent s of t he cont ai ner i s r emai ni ng

=========================================


Of t he 120 peopl e i n t he r oom, 3/ 5 ar e women. I f 2/ 3 of t he peopl e ar e mar r i ed, what i s t he
maxi mumnumber of women i n t he r oomwho coul d be unmar r i ed?

Answer

Maxi mum40 women ar e unmar r i ed.
I n t he r oom, t her e ar e ( 3/ 5) *120 = 72 Women and hence, 48 Men.
Al so, mar r i ed peopl e ar e ( 2/ 3) *120 = 80 whi ch means t hat 40 peopl e ar e unmar r i ed.
Even assumi ng al l of t he men ar e mar r i ed, t hi s st i l l l eaves 80 - 48 = 32 ot her s who ar e
mar r i ed, and t hose ot her ar e women. So at l east 32 women must be mar r i ed, whi ch means t hat
maxi mumpossi bl e number of women who ar e unmar i ed i s 72 - 32 = 40

=======================================


You ar e wor ki ng i n a st or e t hat st ocks bangl es. Thr ee boxes of bangl es have been
i ncor r ect l y l abel ed. The l abel s say Red Bangl es, Gr een Bangl es and Red & Gr een Bangl es.
How can you r e- l abel t he boxes cor r ect l y, by t aki ng onl y one bangl e f r omone box?

Answer

Keep i n mi nd t hat boxes ar e i ncor r ect l y l abel ed.
Take out one bangl e f r omt he box l abel ed " Red & Gr een Bangl es" . Ther e ar e 2 possi bi l i t i es:

I f t hat bangl e i s Red, i t means t hat box cont ai ns Red Bangl es. The box l abel ed as " Gr een
Bangl es" cont ai ns Red & Gr een Bangl es. And box l abel ed " Red Bangl es" cont ai ns Gr een
bangl es.

RED GREEN BOX - - - Red Bangl es
RED BOX - - - Gr een Bangl es
GREEN BOX - - - Red & Gr een Bangl es

I f t hat bangl e i s Gr een, i t means t hat box cont ai ns Gr een
Bangl es. The box l abel ed as " Gr een Bangl es" cont ai ns Red
Bangl es. And box l abel ed " Red Bangl es" cont ai ns Red &
Gr een Bangl es.

RED GREEN BOX - - - Gr een Bangl es
RED BOX - - - Red & Gr een Bangl es
GREEN BOX - - - Red Bangl es

==================================


J ack and J i l l ar e pl ayi ng car ds f or a st ake of $1 a game. At t he end of t he eveni ng, J ack
has won 3 games and J i l l has won $3. How many games di d t hey pl ay?
Submi t t ed by : Nat hal i e Dr oui n

Answer

They pl ayed t ot al of 9 games. J ack won 3 games and J i l l won 6 games.
I f J ack has won t hr ee games and J i l l has won $3, she l ost a dol l ar f or each l oss, t her ef or e
she has won 6 and l ost 3 t o make $3 and he won t he ot her 3 t hat she l ost !

======================================


Ami t , Bhavi n, Hi manshu and Rakesh ar e si t t i ng ar ound a t abl e.
* The El ect oni cs Engi neer i s si t t i ng t o t he l ef t of t he Mechani cal Engi neer .
* Ami t i s si t t i ng opposi t e t o Comput er Engi neer .
* Hi manshu l i kes t o pl ay Comput er Games.
* Bhavi n i s si t t i ng t o t he r i ght of t he Chemi cal Engi neer .
Can you f i gur e out ever yone' s pr of essi on?

Answer

Ami t i s t he Mechani cal Engi neer . Bhavi n i s t he Comput er Engi neer . Hi manshu and Rakesh ar e
ei t her Chemi cal Engi neer or El ecr oni cs Engi neer .
Ami t and Bhavi n ar e si t t i ng opposi t e t o each ot her . Wher eas Chemi cal Engi neer and
El ecr oni cs Engi neer ar e si t t i ng opposi t e t o each ot her .
We cannot f i nd out who i s Chemi cal Engi neer and El ecr oni cs Engi neer as dat a pr ovi ded i s not
suf f i ci ent .

===================================


What ar e next t wo number s i n t he gi ven ser i es?
2, 12, 360, 75600, ?, ?

Answer

The pat t er n i s as f ol l ow:
2 = 2^1
12 = 2^2 * 3^1
360 = 2^3 * 3^2 * 5^1
75600 = 2^4 * 3^3 * 5^2 * 7^1
174636000 = 2^5 * 3^4 * 5^3 * 7^2 * 11^1
5244319080000 = 2^6 * 3^5 * 5^4 * 7^3 * 11^2 * 13^1
A t ough one ! ! !

======================================

A ser i es compr i si ng of number s cont ai ns onl y t en di gi t s. The f i r st ei ght di gi t s i n t he
gi ven ser i es ar e 6, 2, 5, 5, 4, 5, 6, 3
Can you f i nd out t he r emai ni ng t wo di gi t s?
Answer

The r emai ni ng t wo di gi t s ar e 7 and 6.
The pat t er n i s - t he number of segment s on a st andar d cal cul at or / LCD di spl ay i t t akes t o
r epr esent t he di gi t s st ar t i ng wi t h 0.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
| | | _| _| | _| | _ | _ | | _| | _|
| _| | | _ _| | _| | _| | | _| _|

=================================


What i s t he next number i n t he gi ven ser i es?
0, 01, 01011, 0101101011011, ?

Answer

0101101011011010110101101101011011
The pat t er n i s - each number i s f or med f r omt he pr evi ous number by subst i t ut i ng ' 01' f or
' 0' and ' 011' f or ' 1' si mul t aneousl y at each occur ance.

===================================


J ohn l i ves i n " Fr i ends Soci et y" wher e al l t he houses ar e i n a r ow and ar e number ed
sequent i al l y st ar t i ng f r om1. Hi s house number i s 109.
J essy l i ves i n t he same soci et y. Al l t he house number s on t he l ef t si de of J essy' s house
add up exact l y t he same as al l t he house number s on t he r i ght si de of her house.
What i s t he number of J essy' s house? Fi nd t he mi ni mal possi bl e answer .

Answer

Ther e ar e 288 houses and J essy' s house number i s 204.
Let ' s assume t hat i n t he " Fr i ends Soci et y" t her e ar e t ot al N houses number ed f r om1 t o N
and J essy' s house number i s X.
Now i t i s gi ven t hat al l t he house number s on t he l ef t si de of J essy' s house add up exact l y
t he same as al l t he house number s on t he r i ght si de of her house. Hence,
1 + 2 + 3 + . . . . . + ( X- 1) = ( X+1) + ( X+2) + ( X+3) + . . . . . + N
Bot h t he si des of t he above equat i ons ar e i n A. P. Hence, usi ng A. P. summat i on f or maul a,

[ ( X- 1) / 2] [ 2*( 1) + ( X- 1- 1) ] = [ ( N- X) / 2] [ 2*( X+1) + ( N- X- 1) ]
[ X- 1] [ ( 2) + ( X- 2) ] = [ N- X] [ ( 2X+2) + ( N- X- 1) ]
( X- 1) ( X) = ( N- X) ( N+X+1)
X2 - X = N2 + NX + N - NX - X2 - X
X2 = N2 + N - X2
2X2 = N2 + N
X2 = ( N2 + N) / 2
X2 = N( N+1) / 2

Now, usi ng Tr i al and Er r or met hod t o f i nd val ues of N and X such t hat above equat i on i s
sat i sf i ed, we get
1. N = 8, X = 6
2. N = 49, X = 35
3. N = 288, X = 204
4. N = 1681, X = 1189
5. N = 9800, X = 6930
But we r equi r e mi ni mal possi bl e answer and i t i s gi ven t hat J ohn' s house number i s 109. I t
means t hat t her e ar e at l east 109 houses. Hence, f i r st t wo ar e not possi bl e. And t he answer
i s : t her e ar e 288 houses and J essy' s house number i s 204.

=====================================


A man went i nt o a f ast f ood r est aur ant and at e a meal cost i ng Rs. 105, gi vi ng t he
account ant a Rs. 500 not e. He kept t he change, came back a f ew mi nut es l at er and had some
f ood packed f or hi s gi r l f r i end. He gave t he account ant a Rs. 100 not e and r ecei ved Rs. 20
i n change. Lat er t he bank t ol d t he account ant t hat bot h t he Rs. 500 and t he Rs. 100 not es
wer e count er f ei t .
How much money di d t he r est aur ant l ose? I gnor e t he pr of i t of t he f ood r est aur ant .

Answer

He l ost Rs. 600
Fi r st t i me r est aur ant has gi ven f ood wor t h Rs. 105 and Rs. 395 change. Si mi l ar l y second
t i me, f ood wor t h Rs. 80 and Rs. 20 change. Her e, we ar e not consi der i ng f ood r est aur ant
pr of i t s.

================================================


Pr of essor s Ahmad and J oshi ar e ext r emel y st r ange per sons.
Pr of . Ahmad l i es on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but t el l s t r ue on ot her days of t he
week.
Pr of . J oshi l i es on Thur sdays, Fr i days and Sat ur days, but t el l s t r ue on ot her days of t he
week.

* They made t he f ol l owi ng st at ement s:
Pr of . Ahmad : " Yest er day was one of my l yi ng days. "
Pr of . J oshi : " Yest er day was one of my l yi ng days t oo. "
What day of t he week was i t ?

* Bot h Pr of essor s l ooked ver y al i ke and one day t hey sai d t o a vi si t or t o t hei r
depar t ment :
Fi r st Pr of : " I ' mAhmed. "
Second Pr of : " I ' mJ oshi . "
Who was who? What day of t he week was i t ?

* On anot her occasi on, bot h Pr of essor s made t he f ol l owi ng st at ement s:
Fi r st Pr of : 1. " I l i e on Sat ur days. "
2. " I l i e on Sundays. "
Second Pr of . : " I wi l l l i e t omor r ow. "
What day of t he week was i t ?

Answer

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fr i Sat Sun
Pr of . Ahmad Li es Li es Li es t el l s t r ut h t el l s t r ut h t el l s t r ut h t el l s t r ut h
Pr of . J oshi t el l s t r ut h t el l s t r ut h t el l s t r ut h Li es Li es Li es t el l s t r ut h

Teaser 1 :
Assume t hat Pr of . Ahmad i s t el l i ng t r ut h => t oday i s Thur sday
Assume t hat Pr of . Ahmad i s l yi ng => t oday i s Monday
Si mi l ar l y, Assume Pr of . J oshi i s t el l i ng t r ut h => t oday i s Sunday
Assume t hat Pr of . J oshi i s l yi ng => t oday i s Thr usday.
Hence, t oday i s Thr usday, Pr of . Ahmad i s t el l i ng t r ut h and Pr of . J oshi i s l yi ng.

Teaser 2 :
Assume t hat Fi r st Pr of . i s t el l i ng t r ut h => Thur sday, Fr i day, Sat ur day or Sunday
Assume t hat Fi r st Pr of . i s l yi ng => Thur sday, Fr i day or Sat ur day
Si mi l ar l y, Assume Second Pr of . i s t el l i ng t r ut h => Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday
Assume t hat Second Pr of . i s l yi ng => Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
The onl y possi bi l i t y i s Sunday and bot h ar e t el l i ng t r ut h.

Teaser 3 :
A si mpl e one. Fi r st Pr of . says - " I l i e on Sunday" whi ch i s f al se as bot h t he Pr of . t el l
t r ut h on sunday. I t means t he f i r st st at ement made by t he Fi r st Pr of . i s al so f al se. I t
means t he Fi r st Pr of . t el l s t r ut h on Sat ur day. Hence Fi r st Pr of . i s Pr of . Ahmad and he i s
l yi ng. I t means t hat t oday i s ei t her Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

I t i s cl ear t hat Second Pr of . i s Pr of . J oshi .
Assume t hat he i s t el l i ng t r ut h => t oday i s Wednesday
Assume t hat he i s l yi ng => t oday i s Sat ur day.
Hence, t oday i s Wednesday ! ! !

=======================================


Fi nd t he val ues of each of t he al phabet s.
N O O N
S O O N
+ M O O N
- - - - - - - - - -
J U N E

Answer

Usi ng t r i al and er r or . Ther e ar e 2 sol ut i ons t o i t and may be mor e.
2 4 4 2
1 4 4 2
+ 5 4 4 2
- - - - - - - - - -
9 3 2 6

4 1 1 4
5 1 1 4
+ 0 1 1 4
- - - - - - - - - -
9 3 4 2

=================================


A man r ecei ved a cheque. The r upees has been t r ansposed f or pai se and vi ce ver sa. Af t er
spendi ng 5 r upees 42 pai se, he di scover ed t hat he now had exact l y si x t i mes t he val ue of
t he cor r ect cheque amount .
What amount shoul d he have r ecei ved?

Answer

He r ecei ved 6 r upees and 44 pai se.
Let ' s assume t hat he r ecei ved a cheque of X r upees and Y pai se i . e. ( 100X + Y)
The amount r ecei ved by hi m= 100Y + X
Af t er spendi ng 5 r upees 42 pai se, t he r emai ni ng amount i s ( 100Y + X - 542) whi ch i s 6 t i mes
t he or i gi nal amount . Thus,
( 100Y + X - 542) = 6*( 100X + Y)
100Y + X - 542 = 600X + 6Y
94Y = 599X + 542
Usi ng t r i al - n- er r or , we get X=6 and Y=44
Hence, he shoul d have r ecei ved 6 r upees and 44 pai se.

====================================


A per son want ed t o wi t hdr aw X r upees and Y pai se f r omt he bank. But cashi er made a mi st ake
and gave hi mY r upees and X pai se. Nei t her t he per son nor t he cashi er not i ced t hat .
Af t er spendi ng 20 pai se, t he per son count s t he money. And t o hi s sur pr i se, he has doubl e
t he amount he want ed t o wi t hdr aw.
Fi nd X and Y. ( 1 Rupee = 100 Pai se)

Answer

As gi ven, t he per son want ed t o wi t hdr aw 100X + Y pai se.
But he got 100Y + X pai se.
Af t er spendi ng 20 pai se, he has doubl e t he amount he want ed t o wi t hdr aw. Hence, t he
equat i on i s
2 * ( 100X + Y) = 100Y + X - 20
200X + 2Y = 100Y +X - 20
199X - 98Y = - 20
98Y - 199X = 20

Now, we got one equat i on; but t her e ar e 2 var i abl es. We have t o appl y l i t t l e bi t of l ogi c
over her e. We know t hat i f we i nt er change X & Y, amount get s doubl e. So Y shoul d be t wi ce
of X or one mor e t han t wi ce of X i . e. Y = 2X or Y = 2X+1

Case I : Y=2X
Sol vi ng t wo equat i ons si mul t aneousl y
98Y - 199X = 20
Y - 2X = 0
We get X = - 20/ 3 & Y = - 40/ 2

Case I I : Y=2X+1
Sol vi ng t wo equat i ons si mul t aneousl y
98Y - 199X = 20
Y - 2X = 1
We get X = 26 & Y = 53

Now, i t s obvi ous t hat he want ed t o wi t hdr aw Rs. 26. 53

======================================================


Consi der t he sum: ABC + DEF + GHI = J J J
I f di f f er ent l et t er s r epr esent di f f er ent di gi t s, and t her e ar e no l eadi ng zer os, what does
J r epr esent ?

Answer

The val ue of J must be 9.
Si nce t her e ar e no l eadi ng zer os, J must be 7, 8, or 9. ( J J J = ABC + DEF + GHI = 14? + 25?
+ 36? = 7??)
Now, t he r emai nder l ef t af t er di vi di ng any number by 9 i s t he same as t he r emai nder l ef t
af t er di vi di ng t he sumof t he di gi t s of t hat number by 9. Al so, not e t hat 0 + 1 + . . . + 9
has a r emai nder of 0 af t er di vi di ng by 9 and J J J has a r emai nder of 0, 3, or 6.

The number 9 i s t he onl y number f r om7, 8 and 9 t hat l eaves a r emai nder of 0, 3, or 6 i f
you r emove i t f r omt he sum0 + 1 + . . . + 9. Hence, i t f ol l ows t hat J must be 9.

===================================================


Fi nd next t wo number s i n t he ser i es :
100, 365, 24, 60, ?, ?

Answer

The pat t er n i s br eaki ng down t he t i me f r omCent ur y t o mi l i seconds.
Ther e ar e 100 year s i n a cent ur y.
Ther e ar e 365 days i n a year .
Ther e ar e 24 hour s i n a day.
Ther e ar e 60 mi nut es i n an hour .
Ther e ar e 60 seconds i n a mi nut e.
Ther e ar e 1000 mi l i seconds i n a second.
Hence, t he sequence i s : 100, 365, 24, 60, 60, 1000

======================================================


Fi nd sumof di gi t s of D.
Let
A= 19991999
B = sumof di gi t s of A
C = sumof di gi t s of B
D = sumof di gi t s of C
( HI NT : A = B = C = D ( mod 9) )

Answer

The sumof t he di gi t s od D i s 1.
Let E = sumof di gi t s of D.
I t f ol l ows f r omt he hi nt t hat A = E ( mod 9)
Consi der ,

A = 19991999
< 20002000
= 22000 * 10002000
= 1024200 * 106000
< 10800 * 106000
= 106800
i . e. A < 106800
i . e. B < 6800 * 9 = 61200
i . e. C < 5 * 9 = 45
i . e. D < 2 * 9 = 18
i . e. E <= 9
i . e. E i s a si ngl e di gi t number .
Al so,
1999 = 1 ( mod 9)
so 19991999 = 1 ( mod 9)
Ther ef or e we concl ude t hat E=1.

==================================


What i s t he f our - di gi t number i n whi ch t he f i r st di gi t i s 1/ 3 of t he second, t he t hi r d i s
t he sumof t he f i r st and second, and t he l ast i s t hr ee t i mes t he second?
Submi t t ed by : Dan Al l en

Answer

The 4 di gi t number i s 1349.
I t i s gi ven t hat t he f i r st di gi t i s 1/ 3 of t he second. Ther e ar e 3 such possi bi l i t i es.
1. 1 and 3
2. 2 and 6
3. 3 and 9
Now, t he t hi r d di gi t i s t he sumof t he f i r st and second di gi t s.
1. 1 + 3 = 4
2. 2 + 6 = 8
3. 3 + 9 = 12
I t i s cl ear t hat opt i on 3 i s not possi bl e. So we ar e l ef t wi t h onl y t wo opt i ons. Al so, t he
l ast di gi t i s t hr ee t i mes t he second, whi ch r ul es out t he second opt i on. Hence, t he answer
i s 1349.

===========================================


Fi nd t he r emai nder of ( 2^n) / n
Submi t t ed by : Rupa Reddy

Answer

Ther e i s no r egul ar pat t er n as such, t he r emai nder j ust depends on t he val ue of n.
* I f n i s t he power of 2 ( i . e 1, 2, 4, 8, . . . ) , t he r amai nder i s 0.
* I f n i s t he pr i me number and not t he power of 2 ( i . e. 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, . . . ) , t he
r amai nder i s 2.
For r emai ni ng cases l i ke, even number s ot her t han t he power of 2 and odd number s ot her t han
t he pr i me number s, t her e i s no r egul ar pat t er n. I f you get such pat t er n, do l et al l know
! ! !

========================================


The aver age scor es of t he cl ass f or examar e as f ol l ow:
Aver age scor e of t he boys = 90
Aver age scor e of t he gi r l s = 81
Aver age scor e of t he cl ass = 84
Fi nd whet her Cl ass cont ai ns mor e Boys or Gi r l s?

Answer

Assume t hat t her e ar e B boys and G gi r l s i n t he Cl ass.
Hence f r omt he gi ven dat a :
90*B + 81*G = 84*( B+G)
90B + 81G = 84B + 84G
6B = 3G
2B = G
Hence number of Gi r l s i n t he Cl ass ar e t wi ce t he number of Boys.

===================================


PRI MAL SERI ES
Deci de what t he next 5 f i gur es i n t hi s ser i es shoul d be:
0110101000101000101000

Answer

10000
The t i t l e hol ds a hi nt , al t hough t hi s i s st i l l a t ough puzzl e. The ser i es begi ns wi t h t he
number 1, & cont i nues t hr ough 22, gi vi ng a 1 f or each pr i me number , & a 0 f or each number
t hat i s not pr i me.
Of t he l ast 5 number s ( 23- 27) , onl y 23 i s pr i me.

============================================


" We - Amar , Akbar and Ant hony - each have some chi l dr en.
1. Amar has at l east one gi r l and t wi ce as many boys as gi r l s.
2. Akbar has at l east one gi r l and t hr ee t i mes as many boys as gi r l s.
3. Ant hony has at l east one gi r l and t hr ee mor e boys t han gi r l s.
4. When I t el l you t he number of chi l dr en we have al t oget her - a number l ess t han 25 -
you wi l l know how many chi l dr en I have, but not how many chi l dr en each of ot her s has. "
Who i s t he speaker and how many chi l dr en he have?

Answer

Amar i s t he speaker and he have 6 chi l dr en.
Fi nd out possi bl e number of chi l dr en each can have and t hen use t r i al - n- er r or .
Fr om( 1) , Amar has at l east 3 chi l dr en and any number f r om-
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, . . . . .
Fr om( 2) , Akbar has at l east 4 chi l dr en and any number f r om-
4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, . . . . .
Fr om( 3) , Ant hony has at l east 5 chi l dr en and any number f r om-
5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, . . . . .
Fr om( 4) , t ot al number of chi l dr en ar e at most 24. Al so, i f t ot al number of chi l dr en i s
odd, Amar must have an even number of chi l dr en and i f t ot al number of chi l dr en i s even,
Amar must have an odd number of chi l dr en.
Usi ng some t r i al - n- er r or :
* The t ot al number of chi l dr en can not be 13 as no t hr ee number s - one f r omeach
sequence - can add up t o 13.
* The t ot al number of chi l dr en can not be 12, 14, 15, 16 or 17 as t her e i s j ust a one
way t o get t hat sumby addi ng up one number f r omeach sequence. Hence, we wi l l know how
many chi l dr en t hey i ndi vi dual l y have. Thus, cont r adi ct s t he st at ement ( 4) .
* The t ot al number of chi l dr en can not be 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 or 24 as t her e ar e
mul t i pl e ways t o get t hat sum. Hence, we won' t know how many chi l dr en, at l east one of t hem
have. Agai n cont r adi ct i ng t he st at ement ( 4) .
Thus, t he t ot al number of chi l dr en must be 19 and t her e ar e t wo possi bl e cases:
1> Amar - 6, Akbar - 4, Ant hony- 9
2> Amar - 6, Akbar - 8, Ant hony- 5

I n bot h t he cases, we know t hat Amar have 6 chi l dr en and hence Amar i s t he speaker .

============================================


Ther e ar e 20 pol es wi t h a const ant di st ance bet ween each pol e. A car t akes 24 second t o
r each t he 12t h pol e.
How much wi l l i t t ake t o r each t he l ast pol e.

Answer

The car wi l l t ake 41. 45 seconds t o r each t he l ast pol e.
Let t he di st ance bet ween t wo pol es i s X.
The car t akes 24 seconds t o r each t he 12t h pol e. I t means i t t r avel s di st ance of 11X i n 24
seconds.
To r each t he 20t h pol e car has t o t r avel 19X. So t i me t aken t o r each t her e i s
= ( 19X * 24) / 11X
= ( 19 * 24) / 11
= 41. 45 seconds

============================================


Fi nd t he smal l est number N whi ch has t he f ol l owi ng pr oper t i es:
1. i t s deci mal r epr esent at i on has 6 as t he l ast di gi t .
2. I f t he l ast di gi t 6 i s er ased and pl aced i n f r ont of t he r emai ni ng di gi t s, t he
r esul t i ng number i s f our t i mes as gr eat as t he or i gi nal number N.

Answer

The smal l est such number i s 153846.
Assume t hat t he number N i s
N = BnBn- 1Bn- 2 . . . B3B26
as i t s gi ven t hat 6 i s t he l ast di gi t .
Now af t er er asi ng 6 and put t i ng i t i n f r ont of t he r emai ni ng di gi t s, we get
Nnew = 6BnBn- 1Bn- 2 . . . B3B2
Al so gi ven t hat Nnew i s 4 t i mes t he N. Al so not e t hat t he l ast di gi t Nnew i s second l ast
di gi t of N and so on. The r equi r ed r esul t i s
BnBn- 1Bn- 2 . . . B3B26
X 4
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6BnBn- 1Bn- 2 . . . B3B2
So st ar t mul t i pl yi ng and put nt h di gi t of Nnew t o ( n + 1) t h di gi t of N and you wi l l get
r esul t as
1 5 3 8 4 6
X 4
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 1 5 3 8 4
Hence, t he number i s 153846

=======================================


What ar e t he chances t hat at l east t wo out of a gr oup of f i f t y peopl e shar e t he same
bi r t hday?
Submi t t ed by : Er i n

Answer

The pr obabi l i t y of at l east t wo out of a gr oup of 50 peopl e shar e t he same bi r t hday i s 97%
Pr obabi l i t y of at l east t wo shar e t he same bi r t hday = 1 - pr obabi l i t y of al l 50 have
di f f er ent bi r t hdays

Pr obabi l i t y of al l 50 have di f f er ent bi r t hday
= 365/ 365 * 364/ 365 * 363/ 365 * . . . * 317/ 365 * 316/ 365
= ( 365 * 364 * 363 * 362 * . . . * 317 * 316) / 36550
= 0. 0296264

Pr obabi l i t y of at l east t wo shar e t he same bi r t hday
= 1 - 0. 0296264
= 0. 9703735
= 97%appr ox.

Thus, t he pr obabi l i t y of at l east t wo out of a gr oup of 50 peopl e shar e t he same bi r t hday i s
97%
Thi s expl ai ns why i n a school / col l ege wi t h cl assr ooms of 50 st udent s, t her e ar e at l east
t wo st udent s wi t h a bi r t hday on t he same day of t he year . Al so, i f t her e ar e 23 peopl e i n
t he r oom, t hen t her e ar e 50%chances t hat at l east t wo of t hemhave a bi r t hday on t he same
day of t he year ! ! !

===============================


Chi nt u put some Bl ack mar bl es and some Whi t e mar bl es i nt o a j ar . He t hen asked hi s br ot her
Pi nt u t o t ake out a mar bl e. Pi nt u dr ew out a Bl ack mar bl e. Chi nt u asked Pi nt u t o dr aw out
anot her mar bl e, and agai n he dr ew out a Bl ack mar bl e.
Pi nt u t hought t her e must be mor e Bl ack mar bl es t han Whi t e mar bl es i n t he j ar and asked
Chi nt u, " I wonder what i s t he pr obabi l i t y of me dr awi ng a Bl ack mar bl e on a t hi r d t r y?"
Chi nt u r epl i ed, " Exact l y 9/ 10 of what i t was of dr awi ng a Bl ack mar bl e on your f i r st dr aw. "
Can you hel p Pi nt u t o det er mi ne how many mar bl es of each col our had been i n t he j ar i n t he
begi nni ng? Gi ve t he mi ni mal possi bl e answer . Al so, Pi nt u knew t hat t her e wer e at l east
seven mar bl es i n t he j ar i n t he begi nni ng.

Answer

Ther e wer e 8 Bl ack mar bl es and 4 Whi t e mar bl es i n t he j ar .
Let ' s assume t hat i ni t i al l y t her e ar e t ot al N mar bl es. Al so, B and War e t he number of
Bl ack and Whi t e mar bl es r espect i vel y. Thus, N = B + W
The pr obabi l i t y of dr awi ng a Bl ack mar bl e on t he f i r st dr aw = B/ ( B+W)
Si mi l ar l y, af t er dr awi ng 2 Bl ack mar bl es, t he pr obabi l i t y of dr awi ng a Bl ack mar bl e on t he
t hi r d dr aw = ( B- 2) / ( B+W- 2)
Chi nt u sai d t hat t he pr obabi l i t y of dr awi ng a Bl ack mar bl e on t hi r d dr aw ( af t er dr awi ng
Bl ack mar bl es on f i r st t wo dr aws) i s exact l y 9/ 10 of what i t was of dr awi ng a Bl ack mar bl e
on f i r st dr aw.
( B - 2) / ( B + W- 2) = ( 9 / 10) * B / ( B + W)
10 * ( B + W) * ( B - 2) = 9 * B * ( B + W- 2)
10B2 - 20B + 10BW- 20W= 9B2 + 9BW- 18B
B2 - 2B + BW- 20W= 0

We know t hat N = B + W, hence subst i t ut e W= N - B
B2 - 2B + B( N - B) - 20( N - B) = 0
B2 - 2B + BN - B2 - 20N + 20B = 0
18B + BN - 20N = 0
B( 18 + N) = 20N
B = 20N / ( 18 + N)

Now, we know t hat t he val ue of N i s at l east 7. Hence, usi ng t r i al - n- er r or on t he equat i on,
t he mi ni mal val ue of N must be 12 so t hat B=8 and W=4.

Hence, i ni t i al l y t her e wer e 8 Bl ack mar bl es and 4 Whi t e mar bl es i n t he j ar .

==============================================


Anna, her br ot her - Andr e, her daught er - Ami , and her son, Adamar e t enni s pl ayer s. As a
game of doubl es
1. Anna' s br ot her i s di r ect l y acr oss t he net f r omAmi .
2. Adami s di agonal l y acr oss t he net f r omt he wor st pl ayer ' s si bl i ng.
3. The best pl ayer and t he wor st pl ayer ar e on t he same si de of t he
net .
Who i s t he best pl ayer ?

Answer

The best pl ayer i s Andr e.
Fi nd out al l possi bl e ar r angement such t hat no condi t i on i s cont r adi ct ed.
Fr om( 1) , t her e ar e t wo possi bl e ar r angement s. Di scar di ng t wo ar r angement s whi ch ar e
i dent i cal t o f ol l owi ng t wo.
Andr e Anna Andr e Adam
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AND - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ami Adam Ami Anna
( I ) ( I I )

Fr om( 2) , Anna i s t he wor st pl ayer i n Case I and Adami s t he wor st pl ayer i n Case I I .
Fr om( 3) , Andr e i s t he best pl ayer i n bot h t he cases.
Hence, t he best pl ayer i s Andr e.

========================================


El i zabet h i s engaged.
* Her f i anci s ei t her Ar t hur , Bar r y, Col i n or Der ek.
* Each of t he f our men and El i zabet h ei t her al ways t el l s t he t r ut h or al ways l i es.
* Ar t hur says: " Exact l y one of us f our men al ways t el l s t he t r ut h. "
* Bar r y says: " Exact l y one of us f our men al ways t el l s t he l i es. "
* Col i n says: " Ar t hur or Bar r y i s El i zabet h' s f i anc. "
* El i zabet h says: " My f i ancand I ei t her bot h al ways t el l t r ut h or bot h al ways l i e. "
Who i s El i zabet h' s f i anc?

Answer

Bar r y i s El i zabet h' s f i anc.
Anal yse t he st at ement s made by Col i n and El i zabet h f i r st .
Fr om( 6) , i f El i zabet h al ways t el l s t he t r ut h, t hen her f i ancal ways t el l s t he t r ut h and
i f El i zabet h al ways l i es, t hen her f i ancal ways t el l s t he t r ut h. Hence, El i zabet h' s
f i ancal ways t el l s t he t r ut h.
Let ' s assume t hat st at ement made by Col i n ( 5) i s f al se. Then Col i n l i ed and Der ek i s t he
t r ut h- t el l i ng f i anc. But t hen st at ement made by Ar t hur can not be t r ue ( i f t r ue, t hen
t her e ar e 2 t r ut h- t el l er s whi ch cont r adi ct s i t sel f ) . And i t can not be f al se ei t her ( i f
f al se, t hen t her e ar e at l east 2 t r ut h- t el l er s, whi ch makes Bar r y' s st at ement f al se and
hence t her e i s j ust a one t r ut h- t el l er i . e. Der ek, agai n cont r adi ct i on! ! ! ) . Hence st at ement
made by Ar t hur cont r adi ct s i t sel f . So t he st at ement made by Col i n i s t r ue i . e. Ar t hur or
Bar r y i s El i zabet h' s f i anc.

As st at ement made by Col i n i s t r ue, t he st at ement made by Ar t hur i s f al se. Then because
El i zabet h' s f i ancal ways t el l s t he t r ut h, Bar r y i s El i zabet h' s f i anc. Then t he
st at ement made by Bar r y i s t r ue and t hus Der ek al ways t el l s t he t r ut h.
Thus, Bar r y i s El i zabet h' s f i anc.

=====================================


A gr oup of f ewer t han 10 gi r l s f ound a number of gol d- coi ns whi ch t hey wer e abl e t o di vi de
equal l y among t hem.
Af t er t hi s di vi si on had been done, Lal i t a - one of t he gi r l s, suggest ed t hat i t woul d be
mor e equi t abl e t o di vi de t he gol d- coi ns by f ami l i es r at her t han by i ndi vi dual s. Among t he
t hem, t her e wer e t wo gr oups wi t h t wo si st er s, of cour se Lal i t a was not i n ei t her gr oup. The
r est of t he gi r l s wer e unr el at ed t o each ot her . A r e- di vi si on by f ami l i es woul d have meant
t hat t he gol d- coi ns per f ami l y wer e 5 mor e t han t he gol d- coi ns per gi r l .

The gi r l s ar gued among t hemsel ves over t hi s way of di vi di ng t he gol d- coi ns. Bef or e a f i nal
deci si on i s made, Ash - one of t he gi r l s, deci ded t hat she di d not want any gol d- coi ns. Her
shar e was equal l y di vi ded ( wi t hout br eaki ng/ cut t i ng any gol d- coi n) among t he ot her gi r l s.

Fi nal l y, Lal i t a deci ded t o wi t hdr aw her suggest i on of di vi di ng t he gol d- coi ns by f ami l i es.
How many gi r l s wer e t her e and how many gol d- coi ns di d each gi r l end up wi t h?

Answer

Ther e wer e t ot al 6 gi r l s. Each end up wi t h 12 gol d- coi ns.
The number of gol d- coi ns i s evenl y di vi si bl e by t he number of gi r l s as wel l as t he number
of f ami l i es.
Let ' s assume t hat N i s t he number of gol d- coi ns each gi r l r ecei ved i ni t i al l y and G i s t he
t ot al number of gi r l s.
Then, t ot al number of gol d- coi ns = NG
I f t he gol d- coi ns had been di vi ded by f ami l i es r at her t han by i ndi vi dual s, t he number of
r eci pi ent s woul d be ( G - 2) and each shar e woul d be ( N + 5) .
Agai n, t ot al number of gol d- coi ns = ( N + 5) ( G - 2)
But , t he t ot al number of t he gol d- coi ns i s t he same.
NG = ( N + 5) ( G - 2)
NG = NG - 2N +5G - 10
2N = 5G - 10
N = ( 5/ 2) G - 5

Now, N and G ar e t he posi t i ve i nt eger s and al so t ot al number of gol d- coi ns must be
di vi si bl e by G, ( G- 1) and ( G- 2) . Thi s i s because i ni t i al l y t her e wer e G gi r l s; t hen si nce
i t was di vi ded f ami l y wi se, t he t ot al number of uni t s, t he coi ns wer e t o be di vi ded woul d
be ( G- 2) ( as t wo gr oups had t wo si st er s, so t wo gi r l s got combi ned as one gr oup, one per
gr oup) ; and af t er Ash backed out , t her e wer e ( G- 1) gi r l s.

Now t r yi ng di f f er ent EVEN val ues f or G, st ar t i ng wi t h 2; t her e wer e t ot al 6 gi r l s and 60
gol d- coi ns. The gol d- coi ns ar e di vi ded among 5 gi r l s and hence each gi r l ends up wi t h 12
gol d- coi ns.

==========================================


What ar e t he next t wo l et t er s i n t hi s sequence?
A, B, H, F, M, C, I , G, T, D, O, ?, ?

Answer

The next l et t er s i n t he sequence ar e J , U, E, X et c.
A i s t he f i r st l et t er of t he al phabet wi t h symmet r y about t he ver t i cal axi s. B i s t he f i r st
l et t er of t he al phabet wi t h symmet r y about t he hor i zont al axi s. H i s t he f i r st l et t er of
t he al phabet wi t h symmet r y about bot h, t he ver t i cal axi s and t he hor i zont al axi s. F i s t he
f i r st l et t er of t he al phabet wi t h no symmet r y.

The sequence t hen r epeat s wi t h t he second l et t er of t he al phabet wi t h symmet r y about t he
ver t i cal axi s, t he hor i zont al axi s, bot h t he axes and no axes i . e. M, C, I and G
The t hi r d l et t er s of t he al phabet ar e T, D, O and J .
The f our t h l et t er s of t he al phabet ar e U, E, X and L.

==============================================


A f ami l y phot o cont ai ned:
one gr andf at her , one gr andmot her ;
t wo f at her s, t wo mot her s;
si x chi l dr en, f our gr andchi l dr en;
t wo br ot her s, t wo si st er s;
t hr ee sons, t hr ee daught er s;
one f at her - i n- l aw, one mot her - i n- l aw, one daught er - i n- l aw, one son- i n- l aw
30 peopl e you may t hi nk, but no, what i s t he l east number of peopl e her e?

Answer

Ther e ar e t ot al 8 peopl e.
Four chi l dr en - 2 boys and 2 gi r l s, t hei r mot her and f at her , and one set of gr andpar ent s -
EI THER mot her ' s mot her and f at her ' s f at her OR mot her ' s f at her and f at her ' s mot her .

==========================================


Ther e ar e 4 novel s - Thr i l l er , Myst er y, Romance and Sci ence Fi ct i on - wr i t en by Ambr ose,
Ri char ds, Hooper and Wal sh, and publ i shed by Al pha, Bet a, Gamma and Thet a not i n
necessar i l y i n t he same or der .
* The book by Ambr ose i s publ i shed by Thet a.
* The Thr i l l er i s publ i shed by Al pha.
* The Sci ence Fi ct i on novel i s by Hooper and i s not publ i shed by Gamma.
* The Romance novel i s by Wal sh.
Who ar e t he Aut hor and t he Publ i sher of each novel s?

Answer

( Thr i l l er - Ri char ds- Al pha) , ( Myst er y- Ambr ose- Thet a) , ( Romance- Wal sh- Gamma) , ( Sci ence
Fi ct i on- Hooper - Bet a)
Fr om( 1) , ( 2) and ( 3) t he Sci ence Fi ct i on novel i s by Hooper and publ i shed by Bet a.
Fr om( 4) t he Romance novel i s by Wal sh and publ i shed by Gamma.
Now i t i s obvi ous t hat t he Myst er y i s publ i shed by Thet a and wr i t t en by Ambr ose. And t he
Thr i l l er i s publ i shed by Al pha and wr i t t en by Ri char ds.
Novel Type Aut hor Publ i sher
Thr i l l er Ri char ds Al pha
Myst er y Ambr ose Thet a
Romance Wal sh Gamma
Sci ence Fi ct i on Hooper Bet a

=======================================


Thr ee f r i ends di vi ded some bul l et s equal l y. Af t er al l of t hemshot 4 bul l et s t he t ot al
number of bul l et s r emai ni ng i s equal t o t he bul l et s each had af t er di vi si on. Fi nd t he
or i gi nal number di vi ded.

Answer

18
Assume t hat i ni t i al t her e wer e 3*X bul l et s.
So t hey got X bul l et s each af t er di vi si on.
Al l of t hemshot 4 bul l et s. So now t hey have ( X - 4) bul l et s each.
But i t i s gi ven t hat , af t er t hey shot 4 bul l et s each, t ot al number of bul l et s r emai ni ng i s
equal t o t he bul l et s each had af t er di vi si on i . e. X
Ther ef or e, t he equat i on i s
3 * ( X - 4) = X
3 * X - 12 = X
2 * X = 12
X = 6

Ther ef or e t he t ot al bul l et s bef or e di vi si on i s = 3 * X = 18
====================================


What ar e t he next t wo i n t he ser i es?
st , nd, r d, t h, t h, . . . , . . .
Submi t t ed by : Chr i st opher Col on

Answer

The answer i s t h and t h
The pat t er n i s t he suf f i x of each number when count ed i . e. 1st , 2nd, 3r d, 4t h, 5t h, 6t h,
7t h and so on

====================================


Fi ve f r i ends wi t h sur name Bat l i wal a, Pocket wal a, Tal awal a, Chunawal a and Nat akwal a have
t hei r f i r st name and mi ddl e name as f ol l ow.
1. Four of t hemhave a f i r st and mi ddl e name of Par esh.
2. Thr ee of t hemhave a f i r st and mi ddl e name of Kaml esh.
3. Two of t hemhave a f i r st and mi ddl e name of Nar esh.
4. One of t hemhave a f i r st and mi ddl e name of El esh.
5. Pocket wal a and Tal awal a, ei t her bot h ar e named Kaml esh or nei t her i s named Kaml esh.
6. Ei t her Bat l i wal a and Pocket wal a bot h ar e named Nar esh or Tal awal a and Chunawal a bot h
ar e named Nar esh.
7. Chunawal a and Nat akwal a ar e not bot h named Par esh.
Who i s named El esh?

Answer

Pocket wal a i s named El esh.
Fr om( 1) and ( 7) , i t i s cl ear t hat Bat l i wal a, Pocket wal a and Tal awal a ar e named Par esh.
Fr om( 6) and ( 5) , i f Pocket wal a or Tal awal a bot h ar e named Kaml esh, t hen ei t her of t hem
wi l l have t hr ee names i . e. Par esh, Kaml esh and Nar esh. Hence, Pocket wal a and Tal awal a bot h
ar e not named Kaml esh. I t means t hat Bat l i wal a, Chunawal a and Nat akwal a ar e named Kaml esh.
Now i t i s cl ear t hat Tal awal a and Chunawal a ar e named Nar esh. Al so, Pocket wal a i s named
El esh.

=========================================


Sar i ka mul t i pl i ed 414 by cer t ai n number and obt ai ned 69958 as t he answer . But she f ound
t hat t her e i s some er r or i n t he answer - bot h t he 9s i n t he answer ar e wr ong and al l t he
ot her di gi t s ar e cor r ect .
Can you f i nd t he cor r ect answer ?

Answer

The cor r ect answer i s 60858.
I f you di vi de 69958 by 414, you wi l l get 168. 98. Hence, assume some t hr ee di gi t number and
mul t i pl y i t by 414 and use 6**58 as t he answer .
Assume t hr ee di gi t number such t hat
* * *
4 1 4
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
* * *
* * * 0
* * * 0 0
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 * * 5 8

I t i s obvi ous t hat t he l ast di gi t of t he assumed number must be 7.
* * 7
4 1 4
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
* * 8
* * 7 0
* * 8 0 0
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 * * 5 8

Now, t he second l ast di gi t of t he assumed number must be 4 or 9. Al so, t he f i r st di gi t of
t he assumed number must be 1 as t he f i r st di gi t of t he answer i s 6. Usi ng t r i al and er r or
f or above t wo condi t i ons, t he answer i s

1 4 7
4 1 4
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
5 8 8
1 4 7 0
5 8 8 0 0
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 0 8 5 8

===========================================


0 1 1 2 1 2 1 3 2 2 1 3 1 2 2 4 1 3 1 3 2 2 1 ? ? ?

Answer

The next t hr ee number s ar e 4, 2 and 2
The pat t er n i s - t he number of f act or s i n pr i me f act or i zat i on of posi t i ve i nt eger s. Not e
t hat al l pr i me number posi t i ons ar e 1 i n t he gi ven ser i es.

Number Pr i me Fact or i zat i on Fact or s i n Pr i me Fact or i zat i on
1 1 0
2 2 1
3 3 1
4 2*2 2
5 5 1
6 2*3 2
7 7 1
8 2*2*2 3
9 3*3 2
10 2*5 2

Thus, t he next f ew number s i n t he gi ven ser i es ar e:
4 2 2 3 3 1 3 1 5 2 2 2 4 1 2 2 4 1 3 1 3 3 2 1 5 2 3 2 3 1 4 2 4 2 2 1 . . .
Not e t hat 1 i s nei t her a Pr i me number nor a Composi t e number .

===========================================================


Fi nd t he next t wo number s i n t he ser i es:
1, 8, 11, 18, 80, 81, _, _

Answer

The pat t er n i s : t he l i st of posi t i ve i nt eger s begi nni ng wi t h a VOWEL.
1( One) , 8( Ei ght ) , 11( El even) , 18( Ei ght een) , 80( Ei ght y) , 81( Ei ght y- one)
Hence, t he next number s ar e 82( Ei ght y- t wo) , 83( Ei ght y- t hr ee) , 84( Ei ght y- f our ) , . . . . .
I t i s not a ser i es compr i se of 0, 1 and 8. I f so, 10 must be t her e.

===================================


Ther e ar e 4 mugs pl aced upt ur ned on t he t abl e. Each mug have t he same number of mar bl es and
a st at ement about t he number of mar bl es i n i t . The st at ement s ar e: Two or Thr ee, One or
Four , Thr ee or One, One or Two.
Onl y one of t he st at ement i s cor r ect . How many mar bl es ar e t her e under each mug?

Answer

A si mpl e one.
As i t i s gi ven t hat onl y one of t he f our st at ement i s cor r ect , t he cor r ect number can not
appear i n mor e t han one st at ement . I f i t appear s i n mor e t han one st at ement , t hen mor e t han
one st at ement wi l l be cor r ect .
Hence, t her e ar e 4 mar bl es under each mug.

======================================


One of t he f our peopl e - Mr . Cl i nt on, hi s wi f e Moni ka, t hei r son Mandy and t hei r daught er
Ci ndy - i s a si nger and anot her i s a dancer . Mr . Cl i nt on i s ol der t han hi s wi f e and Mady i s
ol der t han hi s si st er .
1. I f t he si nger and t he dancer ar e t he same sex, t hen t he dancer i s ol der t han t he
si nger .
2. I f nei t her t he si nger nor t he dancer i s t he par ent of t he ot her , t hen t he si nger i s
ol der t han t he dancer .
3. I f t he si nger i s a man, t hen t he si nger and t he dancer ar e t he same age.
4. I f t he si nger and t he dancer ar e of opposi t e sex t hen t he man i s ol der t han t he
woman.
5. I f t he dancer i s a woman, t hen t he dancer i s ol der t han t he si nger .
Whose occupat i on do you know? And what i s hi s/ her occupat i on?

Answer

Ci ndy i s t he Si nger . Mr . Cl i nt on or Moni ka i s t he Dancer .
Fr om( 1) and ( 3) , t he si nger and t he dancer , bot h can not be a man. Fr om( 3) and ( 4) , i f
t he si nger i s a man, t hen t he dancer must be a man. Hence, t he si nger must be a woman.

CASE I : Si nger i s a woman and Dancer i s al so a woman
Then, t he dancer i s Moni ka and t he si nger i s Ci ndy.

CASE I I : Si nger i s a woman and Dancer i s al so a man
Then, t he dancer i s Mr . Cl i nt on and t he si nger i s Ci ndy.

I n bot h t he cases, we know t hat Ci ndy i s t he Si nger . And ei t her Mr . Cl i nt on or Moni ka i s
t he Dancer .

======================================


What ar e t he next t wo number s i n t hi s ser i es?
1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, _, _

Answer

Next t wo number s ar e 6 and 5.
The pat t en i s t he each di gi t i n t he val ue of PI af t er t he deci mal poi nt . The val ue of
mat hemat i cal const ant PI i s 3. 1415926536.

================================


Ther e ar e t wo r opes. Each one can bur n i n exact l y one hour . They ar e not necessar i l y of t he
same l engt h or wi dt h as each ot her . They al so ar e not of uni f or mwi dt h ( may be t hi ner / wi der
i n mi ddl e t han on t he end) , t hus bur ni ng hal f of t he r ope i s not necessar i l y 1/ 2 hour .
By bur ni ng t he r opes, how do you measur e exact l y 45 mi nut es wor t h of t i me?

Answer

I f you l i ght bot h ends of one r ope si mul t aneousl y, i t wi l l bur n i n exact l y a 1/ 2 hour .
Thus, bur n one r ope f r ombot h ends and t he ot her r ope f r omonl y one end. Once t he one r ope
( whi ch i s bur ni ng f r ombot h ends) f i nal l y bur ns out ( and you know a 1/ 2 hour has el apsed) ,
you al so know t hat t he ot her r ope ( whi ch i s bur ni ng f r omonl y one end) has exact l y 1/ 2 hour
l ef t t o bur n. Si nce you onl y want 45 mi nut es, l i ght t he second end of t he r ope. Thi s
r emai ni ng pi ece wi l l bur n i n 15 mi nut es. Thus, t ot al i ng 45 mi nut es.

====================================


Whi ch of t he f ol l owi ng day( s) can' t be t he l ast day of a cent ur y?
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thur sday, Fr i day, Sat ur day
J ust i f y your answer .

Answer

The l ast day of a cent ur y can not be Tuesday, Thur sday or Sat ur day.
A nor mal year has 365 days wher eas a l eap year has 366 days. Ever y year whi ch i s di vi si bl e
by 4 i s cal l ed a l eap year . Al so, ever y 4t h cent ur y i s a l eap year but no ot her cent ur y i s
a l eap year .
1 nor mal year = 365 days = 52 weeks + 1 day
1 l eap year = 366 days = 52 weeks + 2 day
Thus, a nor mal year has 1 odd day wher eas a l eap year has 2 odd days.
100 year s
= 76 nor mal year s + 24 l eap year s
= 76*[ 52 weeks + 1 day] + 24*[ 52 weeks + 2 day]
= ( 76*52) weeks + 76 days + ( 24*52) weeks + 48 days
= 5200 weeks + 124 days
= 5217 weeks + 5 days
i . e. 100 year s cont ai n 5 odd days

Si mi l ar l y,
200 year s cont ai n 10 odd days i . e. 3 odd days.
300 year s cont ai n 15 odd days i . e. 1 odd days.
400 year s cont ai n ( 20+1) odd days i . e. 0 odd days.
Not e t hat 400 year s cont ai n one mor e l eap year .
Al so, we have Sunday f or 0 odd day, Monday f or 1 odd day, Tuesday f or 2 odd days, and so
on. . .
Thus, l ast day of f i r st cent ur y i s Fr i day. ( 5 odd days)
Last day of second cent ur y i s Wednesday. ( 3 odd days)
Last day of t hi r d cent ur y i s Monday. ( 1 odd days)
Last day of f or t h cent ur y i s Sunday. ( 0 odd days)

Si nce t he or der i s r epeat i ng i n successi ve cycl es, t he l ast day of a cent ur y can not be
Tuesday, Thur sday or Sat ur day.

==================================


Gi ven any whol e number t ake t he sumof t he di gi t s, and t he pr oduct of t he di gi t s, and
mul t i pl y t hese t oget her t o get a new whol e number .
For exampl e, st ar t i ng wi t h 6712, t he sumof t he di gi t s i s ( 6+7+1+2) = 16, and t he pr oduct
of t he di gi t s i s ( 6*7*1*2) = 84. The answer i n t hi s case i s t hen 84 x 16 = 1344.
I f we do t hi s agai n st ar t i ng f r om1344, we get ( 1+3+4+4) * ( 1*3*4*4) = 576
And yet agai n ( 5+7+6) * ( 5*7*6) = 3780
At t hi s st age we know what t he next answer wi l l be ( wi t hout wor ki ng i t out ) because, as one
di gi t i s 0, t he pr oduct of t he di gi t s wi l l be 0, and hence t he answer wi l l al so be 0.
Can you f i nd any number s t o whi ch when we appl y t he above ment i oned r ul e r epeat edl y, we
never end up at 0?

Answer

Thr ee such number s ar e 1, 135 and 144.
I t seems t hat most number s wi l l event ual l y end up at 0 when we appl y t he r ul e r epeat edl y.
But t her e ar e a f ew number s t hat have t he pr oper t y t hat when we appl y t he r ul e r epeat edl y,
we never end up at 0.
St ar t wi t h 332, t hen we get ( 3+3+2) * ( 3*3*2) = 144
And t hen ( 1+4+4) * ( 1*4*4) = 144
Thus i f we r each 144, we st ay t her e however many t i mes we appl y t hi s r ul e. We say t hat 144
i s f i xed by t hi s r ul e. Now t r y 233 or 98 or 332 or 1224. They al l f al l i nt o t he same gr oup
i . e. we r each 144.
Ther e i s anot her number t hat i s f i xed by t hi s r ul e; i t i s 1 ( because t he sumof t he di gi t s
of 1 i s 1, and t he pr oduct of t he di gi t s i s 1 so, st ar t i ng wi t h 1, t he answer i s 1 * 1 =
1) .
And t he t hi r d one i s 135.
I f you know some ot her number s, do l et us know.

=====================================


W H O S E
T E E T H
A R E
+ A S
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
S W O R D S
mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er H, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her H i n t he puzzl e must be 3.

Answer

I t i s obvi ous t hat S=1 and T=9.
Al so, ( H + E) shoul d be gr eat er t han 10 and hence, ( E + H + E) must 20. Thus, t her e ar e 3
possi bl e val ues f or ( E, H) pai r : ( 6, 8) or ( 7, 6) or ( 8, 4) . Use t r i al - n- er r or and
ever yt hi ng wi l l f i t - i n.

W H O S E 2 8 5 1 6
T E E T H 9 6 6 9 8
A R E 4 7 6
+ A S + 4 1
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
S W O R D S 1 2 5 7 3 1

==============================================



I
A G R E E
+ I T S
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T O U G H


Answer

I =7, A=2, G=9, R=4, E=5, T=3, S=6, O=0, G=9, H=8
I t i s obvi ous t hat T=A+1. Al so, G=9, O=0 and R+I >10. Hence, T>1
Ther e must be a car r y f r omt he uni t s. Hence E+T=8. So ( E, T) can be ( 6, 2) , ( 5, 3) , ( 3, 5) ,
( 2, 6) or ( 1, 7) .
Now, use t r i al - n- er r or and sol ve i t .
I 7
A G R E E 2 9 4 5 5
+ I T S + 7 3 6
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T O U G H 3 0 1 9 8

==========================================


I n a cont est of i nt el l i gence, t hr ee pr obl ems A, B and C wer e posed.
* Among t he cont est ant s t her e wer e 25 who sol ved at l east one pr obl emeach.
* Of al l t he cont est ant s who di d not sol ve pr obl emA, t he number who sol ved B was t wi ce
t he number who sol ved C.
* The number of par t i ci pant s who sol ved onl y pr obl emA was one mor e t han t he number who
sol ved pr obl emA and at l east one ot her pr obl em.
* Of al l st udent s who sol ved j ust one pr obl em, hal f di d not sol ve pr obl emA.
How many st udent s sol ved onl y pr obl emB?

Answer

6 st udent s sol ved onl y pr obl emB
X => St udent s who sol ved onl y pr obl emA
Y => St udent s who sol ved onl y pr obl emB
Z => St udent s who sol ved onl y pr obl emC
P => St udent s who sol ved bot h pr obl emB and pr obl emC

Fr om4 :
St udent s who sol ved onl y pr obl emA = St udent s who sol ved onl y pr obl emB + St udent s who
sol ved onl y pr obl emC
X = Y + Z

Fr om3 :
St udent s who sol ved pr obl emA and at l east one ot her = X - 1

Fr om2 :
( Y + P) = 2 * ( Z + P)
Y + P = 2 * Z + 2 * P
Z = ( Y - P) / 2

Fr om1 and Fi gur e:
X + X - 1 + Y + Z + P = 25
2*X + Y + Z + P = 26
2*( Y + Z) + Y + Z + P = 26 ( f r om4)
3*Y + 3*Z + P = 26
3*Y + 3* ( Y - P) / 2 + P = 26 ( f r om2)
6*Y + 3*Y - 3*P + 2*P = 52
9*Y - P = 52
Y = ( 52 + P) / 9
Now, i t i s obvi ous t hat al l val ues ar e i nt eger . Hence, P must be 2 and Y must be 6.
So 6 st udent s sol ved onl y pr obl emB.

===========================================


Mont u, Bant u, Chant u and Pi nt u have pet s.
Mont u says, " I f Pi nt u and I each have a dog, t hen exact l y one of Bant u and Chant u has a
dog. "
Bant u says, " I f Chant u and I each have a cat , t hen exact l y one of Mont u and Pi nt u has a
dog. "
Chant u says, " I f Mont u and I each have a dog, t hen exact l y one of Bant u and Pi nt u has a
cat . "
Pi nt u says, " I f Bant u and I each have a cat , t hen exact l y one of Bant u and I has a dog. "
Onl y one of t he f our i s t el l i ng t he t r ut h. Who i s t el l i ng t he t r ut h?

Answer

Bant u i s t el l i ng t he t r ut h.
For a I F- THEN st at ement t o be f al se, I F par t has t o be t r ue and THEN par t has t o be f al se.
Si nce onl y one st at ement i s t r ue and r emai ni ng t hr ee ar e f al se, I F par t of t hr ee st at ement s
ar e t r ue & THEN par t of one st at ement i s t r ue. Let ' s put t he gi ven i nf or mat i on i n t abl e.
The pet - name i n t he nor mal t ext r epr esent s t he I F par t and t he pet - name i n r ound br acket s
r epr esent s t he THEN par t .

Mont u Bant u Chant u Pi nt u
Mont u says Dog ( Dog) ( Dog) Dog
Bant u says ( Dog) Cat Cat ( Dog)
Chant u says Dog ( Cat ) Dog ( Cat )
Pi nt u says Cat
( Dog) Cat
( Dog)

I t i s cl ear t hat t he I F par t of t he st at ement s made by Mont u, Chant u and Pi nt u ar e t r ue as
t hey do not cont r adi ct each ot her . And t he I F par t of t he st at ement made by Bant u i s f al se.
Thus, Bant u i s t el l i ng t he t r ut h.
Mont u have a Dog and may or may not have a Cat .
Bant u have a Cat .
Chant u have a Dog.
Pi nt u have a Dog and a Cat .

=================================


Kar an bought a l i t t l e box of mi dget mat ches, each one i nch i n l engt h. He f ound t hat he
coul d ar r ange t hemal l i n t he f or mof a t r i angl e whose ar ea was j ust as many squar e i nches
as t her e wer e mat ches.
He t hen used up si x of t he mat ches, and f ound t hat wi t h t he r emai nder he coul d agai n
const r uct anot her t r i angl e whose ar ea was j ust as many squar e i nches as t her e wer e mat ches.
And usi ng anot her si x mat ches he coul d agai n do pr eci sel y t he same.
How many mat ches wer e t her e i n t he box or i gi nal l y?
Not e t hat t he mat ch- box can hol d maxi mumof 50 mat ches.

Answer

I ni t i al l y, t her e wer e 42 or 36 mat ches i n t he mat ch- box.
Ther e ar e 42 mat ches i n t he box wi t h whi ch he coul d f or ma t r i angl e 20, 15, 7, wi t h an ar ea
of 42 squar e i nches. Af t er 6 mat ches had been used, t he r emai ni ng 36 mat ches woul d f or ma
t r i angl e 17, 10, 9, wi t h an ar ea of 36 squar e i nches. Af t er usi ng anot her 6 mat ches, t he
r emai ni ng 30 mat ches woul d f or ma t r i angl e 13, 12, 5, wi t h an ar ea of 30 squar e i nches.
Af t er usi ng anot her 6, t he 24 r emai ni ng woul d f or ma t r i angl e 10, 8, 6, wi t h an ar ea of 24
squar e i nches.
Thus, t her e ar e t wo possi bl e answer s. Ther e wer e ei t her 42 or 36 mat ches i n t he mat ch- box.
Al so i t i s i nt er est i ng t o know t hat t her e ar e j ust 5 such t r i angl es f or whi ch t he per i met er
and t he ar ea i s t he same ( assumi ng al l si des ar e i nt eger s) and t hey ar e :
1. 24 ( 10, 8, 6)
2. 30 ( 13, 12, 5)
3. 36 ( 17, 10, 9)
4. 42 ( 20, 15, 7)
5. 60 ( 29, 25, 6)

===================================


Last Sat ur day Mi l an went f or t he l at e ni ght show and came l at e. I n t he mor ni ng f ami l y
member s asked hi mwhi ch movi e di d he see. He gave di f f er ent answer s t o ever yone.
* He t ol d t o hi s f at her t hat he had gone t o see MONEY.
* Accor di ng t o hi s mom, he saw ei t her J OHNY or BABLU.
* Hi s el der br ot her came t o know t hat he saw BHABI .
* To hi s si st er , he t ol d ROBOT.
* And hi s gr andpa hear d t hat he saw BUNNY.
Thus, Mi l an gave si x movi e names, al l f i ve l et t er wor ds. But he saw some ot her movi e wi t h
f i ve l et t er wor d. Mor eover , each of t he si x movi e names ment i oned above has exact l y t wo
l et t er s common wi t h t he movi e he saw. ( wi t h t he same posi t i ons)
Can you t el l whi ch movi e di d Mi l an see?

Answer

Mi l an saw BOBBY.
The si x movi e names ar e - MONEY, J OHNY, BABLU, BHABI , ROBOT and BUNNY.
Compar e MONEY and J OHNY. They have O common at t he second pl ace and Y common at t he f i f t h
pl ace. Al so, t hey can' t have t wo di f f er ent l et t er s each, common wi t h t he r equi r ed movi e as
t he l et t er s i n r emai ni ng t hr ee pl aces ar e al l di f f er ent . Thus, t he r equi r ed movi e must have
ei t her O at t he second pl ace or Y at t he f i f t h pl ace or bot h.

Si mi l ar l y, compar i ng J OHNY and BUNNY - t he r equi r ed movi e must have ei t her N at t he f our t h
pl ace or Y at t he f i f t h pl ace or bot h. Al so, compar i ng MONEY and BUNNY - t he r equi r ed movi e
must have ei t her N at t he t hi r d pl ace or Y at t he f i f t h pl ace or bot h.

Fr omt he above 3 deduct i on, ei t her Y i s at f i f t h pl ace or O i s at t he second pl ace and N i s
at t he t hi r d & f our t h pl ace. The l at er combi nat i on i s not possi bl e as BABLU, BHABI & ROBOT
wi l l need at l east 3 ot her l et t er s whi ch makes t he r equi r ed movi e 6 l et t er l ong. Hence, t he
r equi r ed movi e must have Y at t he f i f t h pl ace.

Now Y i s not t her e i n BABLU and BHABI at t he f i f t h pl ace and t hey have onl y B common at t he
f i r st pl ace. Hence, B must be t he f i r st l et t er .

As B i s at t he f i r st pl ace and Y i s at t he f i f t h pl ace and ever y movi e has exact l y 2
l et t er s common wi t h t he r equi r ed movi e. Fr omBUNNY, t he r equi r ed movi e do not have U at t he
second pl ace and N at t he t hi r d and f our t h pl ace. Now l ooki ng at J OHNY and MONEY, t hey must
have O common at t he second pl ace.

Usi ng t he same ki nd of ar gument s f or BABLU, BHABI and ROBOT, we can concl ude t hat Mi l an saw
BOBBY.

=========================================


Si x cabi ns number ed 1- 6 consecut i vel y, ar e ar r anged i n a r ow and ar e separ at ed by t hi n
di vi der s. These cabi ns must be assi gned t o si x st af f member s based on f ol l owi ng f act s.
1. Mi ss Shal aka' s wor k r equi r es her t o speak on t he phone f r equent l y t hr oughout t he day.
2. Mi ss Shudha pr ef er s cabi n number 5 as 5 i s her l ucky number .
3. Mr . Shaan and Mr . Shar ma of t en t al k t o each ot her dur i ng t hei r wor k and pr ef er s t o
have adj acent cabi ns.
4. Mr . Si nha, Mr . Shaan and Mr . Sol anki al l smoke. Mi ss Shudha i s al l er gi c t o smoke and
must have non- smoker s adj acent t o her .
5. Mr . Sol anki needs si l ence dur i ng wor k.
Can you t el l t he cabi n number s of each of t hem?

Answer

The cabi ns f r oml ef t t o r i ght ( 1- 6) ar e of Mr . Sol anki , Mr . Si nha, Mr . Shaan, Mr . Shar ma,
Mi ss Shudha and Mi ss Shal aka.
Fr om( 2) , cabi n number 5 i s assi gned t o Mi ss Shudha.
As Mi ss Shudha i s al l er gi c t o smoke and Mr . Si nha, Mr . Shaan & Mr . Sol anki al l smoke, t hey
must be i n cabi n number s 1, 2 and 3 not necessar i l y i n t he same or der . Al so, Mi ss Shal aka
and Mr . Shar ma must be i n cabi n 4 and 6.
Fr om( 3) , Mr . Shaan must be i n cabi n 3 and Mr . Shar ma must be i n cabi n 4. Thus, Mi ss
Shal aka i s i n cabi n 6.
As Mr . Sol anki needs si l ence dur i ng wor k and Mr . Shaan i s i n cabi n 3 who of t en t al ks t o Mr .
Shar ma dur i ng wor k, Mr . Sol anki must be i n cabi n 1. Hence, Mr . Si nha i s i n cabi n 2.

Thus, t he cabi ns number s ar e
1# Mr . Sol anki ,
2# Mr . Si nha,
3# Mr . Shaan,
4# Mr . Shar ma,
5# Mi ss Shudha,
6# Mi ss Shal aka

===============================


A CAR has a val ue of 1 and a TRACTOR has a val ue of 2.
What i s t he val ue of an AI RPLANE? Not e t hat AI RPLANE cost s mor e t han CAR or TRACTOR.
Submi t t ed by : Lynda

Answer

AI RPLANE has a val ue of 4.
The val ue of each vehi cl e equal s t he t ot al number of vowel s i n t he wor d.
CAR has 1 vowel i . e. A
TRACTOR has 2 vowel s i . e. A O
AI RPLANE has 4 vowel s i . e. A I A E
Ther e i s one mor e possi bl e answer : The val ue of each vehi cl e equal s t he t ot al number of
DI STI NCT vowel s i n t he wor d. So t he val ue of AI RPLANE wi l l be 3.

========================================


Consi der a number 235, wher e l ast di gi t i s t he sumof f i r st t wo di gi t s i . e. 2 + 3 = 5.
How many such 3- di gi t number s ar e t her e?

Answer

Ther e ar e 45 di f f er ent 3- di gi t number s.
The l ast di gi t can not be 0.
I f t he l ast di gi t i s 1, t he onl y possi bl e number i s 101. ( Not e t hat 011 i s not a 3- di gi t
number )
I f t he l ast di gi t i s 2, t he possi bl e number s ar e 202 and 112.
I f t he l ast di gi t i s 3, t he possi bl e number s ar e 303, 213 and 123.
I f t he l ast di gi t i s 4, t he possi bl e number s ar e 404, 314, 224 and 134.
I f t he l ast di gi t i s 5, t he possi bl e number s ar e 505, 415, 325, 235 and 145.
Not e t he pat t er n her e - I f t he l ast di gi t i s 1, t her e i s onl y one number . I f t he l ast di gi t
i s 2, t her e ar e t wo number s. I f t he l ast di gi t i s 3, t her e ar e t hr ee number s. I f t he l ast
di gi t i s 4, t her e ar e f our number s. I f t he l ast di gi t i s 5, t her e ar e f i ve number s. And so
on. . . . .
Thus, t ot al number s ar e
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 = 45
Al t oget her t hen, t her e ar e 45 di f f er ent 3- di gi t number s, wher e l ast di gi t i s t he sumof
f i r st t wo di gi t s.

==============================


Whi l e si t t i ng i n a cl ub wher e al l si ngl e men t el l t he t r ut h and al l mar r i ed men l i e, a
woman i s appr oached by t hr ee men.
She asks t he f i r st guy i f he i s mar r i ed, but t he musi c i s so l oud t hat she can not hear hi s
answer .
So she t ur ns t o t he second guy, who t el l s her , " The f i r st guy sai d, ' I ammar r i ed' , but he
i s r eal l y si ngl e. "
Then she t ur ns t o t he t hi r d guy, who says, " The second guy i s si ngl e. "
Can you det er mi ne t he mar i t al st at us of each of t he t hr ee men?
Submi t t ed by : Mar i e

Answer

Al l t hr ee ar e mar r i ed.
A si ngl e man woul d al ways say t hat he i s si ngl e. And a mar r i ed man woul d al so al ways say
t hat he i s si ngl e. I t means t hat no man i n t he cl ub woul d say t hat he i s mar r i ed. Thus, t he
second man i s l yi ng, so t he second man i s mar r i ed.
Si nce t he second man ( al ways l i es) says t he f i r st man i s si ngl e, t he f i r st man i s mar r i ed.
Si mi l ar l y, t he t hi r d man i ncor r ect l y says t hat t he second man i s si ngl e. Hence, t he t hi r d
man i s l yi ng and he i s mar r i ed.
Thus, al l t hr ee ar e l yi ng and hence, mar r i ed.

=============================


G E T
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
N U T | G I N G E R
| N U T
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
E I N E
G U A O
- - - - - - - - -
T T O R
E O G D
- - - - - - -
U A O

mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er U, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her U i n t he puzzl e must be 3.

Answer

I =0, G=1, E=2, T=3, A=4, R=5, O=6, U=7, N=8, D=9
At a f i r st gl ance, i t i s obvi ous t hat G=1, E=2 and T=3. Ever yt hi ng el se i s pr et t y si mpl e
now.
1 2 3
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
8 7 3 | 1 0 8 1 2 5
| 8 7 3
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
2 0 8 2
1 7 4 6
- - - - - - - - -
3 3 6 5
2 6 1 9
- - - - - - -
7 4 6

=======================================


Ther e i s a gr i d of 20 squar es by 10 squar es. How many di f f er ent r ect angl es ar e possi bl e?
Not e t hat squar e i s a r ect angl e.

Answer

11550
The Gener i c sol ut i on t o t hi s i s:
Tot al number of r ect angl es = ( Summat i on of r ow number s) * ( Summat i on of col umn number s)
Her e t her e ar e 20 r ows and 10 col umns or vi ce ver sa. Hence, t ot al possi bl e r ect angl es
= ( 20 + 19 + 18 + 17 + 16 + . . . . + 3 + 2 + 1 ) * ( 10 + 9 +8 + 7 + . . . . + 3 + 2 + 1)
= ( 210 ) * ( 55)
= 11550
Hence, t ot al 11, 550 di f f er ent r ect angl es ar e possi bl e.
I f you don' t bel i eve i t , t r y f or mul a on some smal l er gr i ds l i ke 4x2, 3x2, 3x3 et c. . .

===================================


Four pr i soner s escape f r oma pr i son.
The pr i soner s, Mr . East , Mr . West , Mr . Sout h, Mr . Nor t h head t owar ds di f f er ent di r ect i ons
af t er escapi ng.
The f ol l owi ng i nf or mat i on of t hei r escape was suppl i ed:
* The escape r out es wer e Nor t h Road, Sout h Road, East Road and West Road
* None of t he pr i soner s t ook t he r oad whi ch was t hei r namesake
* Mr . East di d not t ake t he Sout h Road
* Mr . West di d not t he Sout h Road
* The West Road was not t aken by Mr . East
What r oad di d each of t he pr i soner s t ake t o make t hei r escape?

Answer

Put al l t he gi ven i nf or mat i on i nt o t he t abl e st r uct ur e as f ol l ow:
Nor t h Road Sout h Road East Road West Road
Mr . Nor t h No
Mr . Sout h No
Mr . East No No No
Mr . West No No

Now f r omt abl e, t wo t hi ngs ar e obvi ous and t hey ar e:

* Mr . Nor t h t ook t he Sout h Road
* Mr . East t ook t he Nor t h Road

Put t hi s i nf or mat i on i nt o t he t abl e, Al so keep i n mi nd t hat t he pr i soner s head t owar ds
di f f er ent di r ect i ons af t er escapi ng.

Nor t h Road Sout h Road East Road West Road
Mr . Nor t h No YES No No
Mr . Sout h No No
Mr . East YES No No No
Mr . West No No No

Now f r omt he t abl e:

* Mr . West t ook t he East Road
* Mr . Sout h t ook t he West Road

So t he answer i s:

* Mr . Nor t h t ook t he Sout h Road
* Mr . Sout h t ook t he West Road
* Mr . East t ook t he Nor t h Road
* Mr . West t ook t he East Road

======================================


When Socr at es was i mpr i soned f or bei ng a di st ur bi ng i nf l uence, he was hel d i n hi gh est eem
by hi s guar ds. Al l f our of t hemhoped t hat somet hi ng woul d occur t hat woul d f aci l i t at e hi s
escape. One eveni ng, t he guar d who was on dut y i nt ent i onal l y l ef t t he cel l door open so
t hat Socr at es coul d l eave f or di st ant par t s.

Socr at es di d not at t empt t o escape, as i t was hi s phi l osophy t hat i f you accept soci et y' s
r ul es, you must al so accept i t ' s puni shment s. However , t he open door was consi der ed by t he
aut hor i t i es t o be a ser i ous mat t er . I t was not cl ear whi ch guar d was on t hat eveni ng. The
f our guar ds make t he f ol l owi ng st at ement s i n t hei r def ense:

Aar on:
A) I di d not l eave t he door open.
B) Cl ement was t he one who di d i t .

Bob:
A) I was not t he one who was on dut y t hat eveni ng.
B) Aar on was on dut y.

Cl ement :
A) Bob was t he one on dut y t hat eveni ng.
B) I hoped Socr at es woul d escape.

Davi d:
A) I di d not l eave t he door open.
B) I was not sur pr i sed t hat Socr at es di d not at t empt t o escape.

Consi der i ng t hat , i n t ot al , t hr ee st at ement s ar e t r ue, and f i ve st at ement s ar e f al se, whi ch
guar d i s gui l t y?

Answer

Davi d i s t he gui l t y.

Not e t hat " Al l f our of t hemhoped t hat somet hi ng woul d occur t hat woul d f aci l i t at e hi s
escape" . I t makes Cl ement ' s st at ement B Tr ue and Davi d' s st at ement B Fal se.
Now consi der each of t hemas a gui l t y, one at a t i me.
Aar on Bob Cl ement Davi d Tr ue
St mt s
A B A B A B A B
I f Aar on i s gui l t y Fal se Fal se Tr ue Tr ue Fal se Tr ue Tr ue Fal se 4
I f Bob i s gui l t y Tr ue Fal se Fal se Fal se Tr ue Tr ue Tr ue Fal se 4
I f Cl ement i s gui l t y Tr ue Tr ue Tr ue Fal se Fal se Tr ue Tr ue Fal se 5
I f Davi d i s gui l t y Tr ue Fal se Tr ue Fal se Fal se Tr ue Fal se Fal se 3

Si nce i n t ot al , t hr ee st at ement s ar e t r ue and f i ve st at ement s ar e f al se. I t i s cl ear f r om
t he above t abl e t hat Davi d i s t he gui t y.

==================================


Subst i t ut e di gi t s f or t he l et t er s t o make t he f ol l owi ng subt r act i on pr obl emt r ue.
S A N T A
- C L A U S
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
X M A S


Answer

One of t he si mpl est br ai n t easer as t her e ar e t ot al 26 possi bl e answer s.
I t i s obvi ous t hat S=C+1. Si nce A- S=S, i t i s cl ear t hat A=2*S or 2*s- 10. Al so, L and X ar e
i nt er changeabl e.
SANTA - CLAUS = XMAS
24034 - 16492 = 7542
24034 - 17492 = 6542
24074 - 15432 = 8642
24074 - 18432 = 5642
24534 - 16492 = 8042
24534 - 18492 = 6042
24794 - 16452 = 8342
24794 - 18452 = 6342
24804 - 15462 = 9342
24804 - 19462 = 5342
24974 - 16432 = 8542
24974 - 18432 = 6542
36806 - 27643 = 9163
36806 - 29643 = 7163
36156 - 27693 = 8463
36156 - 28693 = 7463
62132 - 54206 = 7926
62132 - 57206 = 4926
62172 - 53246 = 8926
62172 - 58246 = 3926
62402 - 53276 = 9126
62402 - 59276 = 3126
62712 - 53286 = 9426
62712 - 59286 = 3426
62932 - 58206 = 4726
62932 - 54206 = 8726

========================


Sci ent i st deci ded t o do a st udy on t he popul at i on gr owt h of r abbi t s. I nsi de a cont r ol l ed
envi r onment , 1000 r abbi t s wer e pl aced.
Si x mont hs l at er , t her e wer e 1000Z r abbi t s. At t he begi nni ng of t he 3r d year , t her e wer e
r oughl y 2828Z r abbi t s, whi ch was 4 t i mes what t he sci ent i st s pl aced i n t her e at t he
begi nni ng of t he 1st year .
I f Z i s a posi t i ve var i abl e, how many r abbi t s woul d be t her e at t he begi nni ng of t he 11t h
year ?
Submi t t ed by : Davi d J ohnson

Answer

At t he begi nni ng of t he 11t h year , t her e woul d be 1, 024, 000 r abbi t s.
At t he begi nni ng, t her e wer e 1000 r abbi t s. Al so, t her e wer e 4000 r abbi t s at t he begi nni ng
of t hi r d year whi ch i s equal t o 2828Z. Thus, Z = 4000/ 2828 i . e. 1. 414 ( t he squar e r oot of
2)
Not e t hat 2828Z can be r epr esent ed as 2000*Z*Z ( Z=1. 414) , whi ch can be f ur t her si mpl i f i ed
as 1000*Z*Z*Z*Z
Al so, i t i s gi ven t hat at t he end of 6 mont hs, t her e wer e 1000Z r abbi t s.
I t i s cl ear t hat t he popul at i on gr owt h i s 1. 414 t i mes ever y si x mont hs i . e. 2 t i mes ever y
year . Af t er N year s, t he popul at i on woul d be 1000*( Z^( 2N) ) i . e. 1000*( 2^N)
Thus, at t he begi nni ng of t he 11t h year ( i . e. af t er 10 year s) , t her e woul d be 1000*( 2^10)
i . e. 1, 024, 000 r abbi t s.

=====================================


A number of 9 di gi t s has t he f ol l owi ng pr oper t i es:
* The number compr i si ng t he l ef t most t wo di gi t s i s di vi si bl e by 2, t hat compr i si ng t he
l ef t most t hr ee di gi t s i s di vi si bl e by 3, t he l ef t most f our by 4, t he l ef t most f i ve by 5,
and so on f or t he ni ne di gi t s of t he number i . e. t he number f or med f r omt he f i r st n di gi t s
i s di vi si bl e by n, 2<=n<=9.
* Each di gi t i n t he number i s di f f er ent i . e. no di gi t s ar e r epeat ed.
* The di gi t 0 does not occur i n t he number i . e. i t i s compr i sed onl y of t he di gi t s 1- 9
i n some or der .
Fi nd t he number .

Answer

The answer i s 381654729
One way t o sol ve i t i s Tr i al - &- Er r or . You can make i t bi t easi er as odd posi t i ons wi l l
al ways occupy ODD number s and even posi t i ons wi l l al ways occupy EVEN number s. Fur t her 5t h
posi t i on wi l l cont ai n 5 as 0 does not occur .
The ot her way t o sol ve t hi s pr obl emi s by wr i t i ng a comput er pr ogr amt hat syst emat i cal l y
t r i es al l possi bi l i t i es.

=================================


Gr ass i n l awn gr ows equal l y t hi ck and i n a uni f or mr at e. I t t akes 24 days f or 70 cows and
60 days f or 30 cows t o eat t he whol e of t he gr ass.
How many cows ar e needed t o eat t he gr ass i n 96 days?

Answer

20 cows
g - gr ass at t he begi nni ng
r - r at e at whi ch gr ass gr ows, per day
y - r at e at whi ch one cow eat s gr ass, per day
n - no of cows t o eat t he gr ass i n 96 days

Fr omgi ven dat a,
g + 24*r = 70 * 24 * y - - - - - - - - - - A
g + 60*r = 30 * 60 * y - - - - - - - - - - B
g + 96*r = n * 96 * y - - - - - - - - - - C

Sol vi ng f or ( B- A) ,
( 60 * r ) - ( 24 * r ) = ( 30 * 60 * y) - ( 70 * 24 * y)
36 * r = 120 * y - - - - - - - - - - D

Sol vi ng f or ( C- B) ,
( 96 * r ) - ( 60 * r ) = ( n * 96 * y) - ( 30 * 60 * y)
36 * r = ( n * 96 - 30 * 60) * y
120 * y = ( n * 96 - 30 * 60) * y [ Fr omD]
120 = ( n * 96 - 1800)
n = 20

Hence, 20 cows ar e needed t o eat t he gr ass i n 96 days.
=============================================


WO R L D
+ T R A D E
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
C E N T E R
mappi ng bet ween di gi t s and l et t er s. e. g. i f you subst i t ut e 3 f or t he l et t er W, no ot her
l et t er can be 3 and al l ot her Wi n t he puzzl e must be 3.

Answer

A t ough one.
I t i s obvi ous t hat C=1. Al so, t he maxi mumpossi bl e val ue of E i s 7. Now, st ar t put t i ng
possi bl e val ues of D, E and R as t hey occur e f r equent l y and use t r i al - n- er r or .
WO R L D 5 3 6 8 4
+ T R A D E + 7 6 0 4 2
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C E N T E R 1 2 9 7 2 6

=============================================


I n t he f ol l owi ng mul t i pl i cat i on, cer t ai n di gi t s have been r epl aced wi t h ast er i sks ( *) .
Repl ace al l t he ast er i sks such t hat t he pr obl emhol ds t he r esul t .
* * 7
X 3 * *
- - - - - - - - - -
* 0 * 3
* 1 *
* 5 *
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
* 7 * * 3

Answer
A si mpl e one.

1 1 7
X 3 1 9
- - - - - - - - - -
1 0 5 3
1 1 7
3 5 1
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
3 7 3 2 3

=================================


A bl i ndf ol ded man i s asked t o si t i n t he f r ont of a car r omboar d. The hol es of t he boar d
ar e shut wi t h l i ds i n r andomor der , i . e. any number of al l t he f our hol es can be shut or
open.
Now t he man i s supposed t o t ouch any t wo hol es at a t i me and can do t he f ol l owi ng.

* Open t he cl osed hol e.
* Cl ose t he open hol e.
* Let t he hol e be as i t i s.

Af t er he has done i t , t he car r omboar d i s r ot at ed and agai n br ought t o some posi t i on. The
man i s agai n not awar e of what ar e t he hol es whi ch ar e open or cl osed.

How many mi ni mumnumber of t ur ns does t he bl i ndf ol ded man r equi r e t o ei t her open al l t he
hol es or cl ose al l t he hol es?

Not e t hat whenever al l t he hol es ar e ei t her open or cl ose, t her e wi l l be an al ar mso t hat
t he bl i ndf ol ded man wi l l know t hat he has won.
Submi t t ed by : Vi kr ant Ramt eke

Answer

The bl i ndf ol ded man r equi r es 5 t ur ns.
1. Open t wo adj acent hol es.
2. Open t wo di agonal hol es. Now at l east 3 hol es ar e open. I f 4t h hol e i s al so open, t hen
you ar e done. I f not , t he 4t h hol e i s cl ose.
3. Check t wo di agonal hol es.
* I f one i s cl ose, open i t and al l t he hol es ar e open.
* I f bot h ar e cl ose, open any one hol e. Now, t wo hol es ar e open and t wo ar e
cl ose. The di agonal hol es ar e i n t he opposi t e st at us i . e. i n bot h t he di agonal s, one hol e
i s open and one i s cl ose.
4. Check any t wo adj acent hol es.
* I f bot h ar e open, cl ose bot h of t hem. Now, al l hol es ar e cl ose.
* I f bot h ar e cl ose, open bot h of t hem. Now, al l hol es ar e open.
* I f one i s open and one i s cl ose, i nver t t hemi . e. cl ose t he open hol e and open
t he cl ose hol e. Now, t he di agonal hol es ar e i n t he same st at us i . e. t wo hol es i n one
di agonal ar e open and i n ot her ar e cl ose.
5. Check any t wo di agonal hol es.
* I f bot h ar e open, cl ose bot h of t hem. Now, al l hol es ar e cl ose.
* I f bot h ar e cl ose, open bot h of t hem. Now, al l hol es ar e open.

========================================


How many possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e t her e i n a 3x3x3 r ubi cs cube?
I n ot her wor ds, i f you want ed t o sol ve t he r ubi cs cube by t r yi ng di f f er ent combi nat i ons,
how many mi ght i t t ake you ( wor st case sener i o) ?
How many f or a 4x4x4 cube?
Submi t t ed by : Sar ah Fl od

Answer

Ther e ar e 4. 3252 * 10^19 possi bl e combi nat i ons f or 3x3x3 Rubi cs and 7. 4012 * 10^45 possi bl e
combi nat i ons f or 4x4x4 Rubi cs.
Let ' s consi der 3x3x3 Rubi cs f i r st .
Ther e ar e 8 cor ner cubes, whi ch can be ar r anged i n 8! ways.
Each of t hese 8 cubes can be t ur ned i n 3 di f f er ent di r ect i ons, so t her e ar e 3^8
or i ent at i ons al t oget her . But i f you get al l but one of t he cor ner cube i nt o chosen
posi t i ons and or i ent at i ons, onl y one of 3 or i ent at i ons of t he f i nal cor ner cube i s
possi bl e. Thus, t ot al ways cor ner cubes can be pl aced = ( 8! ) * ( 3^8) / 8 = ( 8! ) * ( 3^7)

Si mi l ar l y, 12 edge cubes can be ar r anged i n 12! ways.
Each of t hese 12 cubes can be t ur ned i n 2 di f f er ent di r ect i ons, so t her e ar e 2^12
or i ent at i ons al t oget her . But i f you get al l but one of t he edge cube i nt o chosen posi t i ons
and or i ent at i ons, onl y one of 2 or i ent at i ons of t he f i nal edge cube i s possi bl e. Thus,
t ot al ways edge cubes can be pl aced = ( 12! ) * ( 2^12) / 2 = ( 12! ) * ( 2^11)

Her e, we have essent i al l y pul l ed t he cubes apar t and st uck cubes back i n pl ace wher ever we
pl ease. I n r eal i t y, we can onl y move cubes ar ound by t ur ni ng t he f aces of t he cubes. I t
t ur ns out t hat you can' t t ur n t he f aces i n such a way as t o swi t ch t he posi t i ons of t wo
cubes whi l e r et ur ni ng al l t he ot her s t o t hei r or i gi nal posi t i ons. Thus i f you get al l but
t wo cubes i n pl ace, t her e i s onl y one at t ai nabl e choi ce f or t hem( not 2! ) . Hence, we must
di vi de by 2.

Tot al di f f er ent possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e
= [ ( 8! ) * ( 3^7) ] * [ ( 12! ) * ( 2^11) ] / 2
= ( 8! ) * ( 3^7) * ( 12! ) * ( 2^10)
= 4. 3252 * 10^19

Si mi l ar l y, f or 4x4x4 Rubi cs t ot al di f f er ent possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e
= [ ( 8! ) * ( 3^7) ] * [ ( 24! ) ] * [ ( 24! ) / ( 4! ^6) ] / 24
= 7. 4011968 * 10^45

Not e t hat t her e ar e 24 edge cubes, whi ch you can not t ur n i n 2 or i ent at i ons ( hence no 2^24
/ 2) . Al so, t her e ar e 4 cent er cubes per f ace i . e. ( 24! ) / ( 4! ^6) . You can swi t ch 2 cubes
wi t hout af f ect i ng t he r est of t he combi nat i on as 4*4*4 has even di mensi ons ( hence no
di vi si on by 2) . But pat t er n on one si de i s r ot at ed i n 4 di r ect i ons over 6 f aces, hence
di vi de by 24.

======================================


Ther e i s a number t hat i s 5 t i mes t he sumof i t s di gi t s. What i s t hi s number ? Answer i s not
0.

Answer

The number i s 45, si mpl y because
45 = 5 * ( 4 + 5)
How does one f i nd t hi s number ?
Let T be t he di gi t i n t he t ens pl ace and U be t he di gi t i n t he uni t s pl ace. Then, t he
number i s 10*T + U, and t he sumof i t s di gi t s i s T + U.
The f ol l owi ng equat i on can be r eadi l y wr i t t en:
10*T + U = 5*( T + U) or
10*T + U = 5*T + 5*U or
5*T = 4*U
Thus, T / U = 4 / 5
Si nce T and U ar e di gi t s, T must be 4 and U must be 5.

====================================


El even boys and gi r l s wai t t o t ake t hei r seat s i n t he same r ow i n a movi e t heat er . Ther e
ar e exact l y 11 seat s i n t he r ow.
They deci ded t hat af t er t he f i r st per son si t s down, t he next per son has t o si t next t o t he
f i r st . The t hi r d si t s next t o one of t he f i r st t wo and so on unt i l al l el even ar e seat ed.
I n ot her wor ds, no per son can t ake a seat t hat separ at es hi m/ her f r omat l east one ot her
per son.
How many di f f er ent ways can t hi s be accompl i shed? Not e t hat t he f i r st per son can choose any
of t he 11 seat s.

Answer

Ther e ar e 1024 di f f er ent ways.
Thi s i s t he t ype of Br ai n Teaser t hat can be sol ved usi ng t he met hod of i nduct i on.
I f t her e i s j ust a one per son and one seat , t hat per son has onl y one opt i on.
I f t her e ar e t wo per sons and t wo seat s, i t can be accompl i shed i n 2 di f f er ent ways.
I f t her e ar e t hr ee per sons and t hr ee seat s, i t can be accompl i shed i n 4 di f f er ent ways.
Remember t hat no per son can t ake a seat t hat separ at es hi m/ her f r omat l east one ot her
per son.
Si mi l ar l y, f our per sons and f our seat s pr oduce 8 di f f er ent ways. And f i ve per sons wi t h f i ve
seat s pr oduce 16 di f f er ent ways.
I t can be seen t hat wi t h each addi t i onal per son and seat , t he di f f er ent ways i ncr ease by
t he power of t wo. For si x per sons wi t h si x seat s, t her e ar e 32 di f f er ent ways.
For any number N, t he di f f er ent possi bl e ways ar e 2( N- 1)
Thus, f or 11 per sons and 11 seat s, t ot al di f f er ent ways ar e 210 i . e. 1024

========================


Fi nd t he next i n t he set :
AZFR, LARU, AMAS, SBNS, KI CI , ????

Answer

The next wor d i n t he ser i es i s AAEA.
I f you col l ect t he cor r espondi ng l et t er f r omeach wor d, t hey ar e names of t he pl aces.
Consi der t he f ol l owi ng f i ve names :
A L A S K A
Z A M B I A
F R A N C E
R U S S I A
Fi r st l et t er of each wor d : A Z F R
Second l et t er of each wor d : L A R U
Thi r d l et t er of each wor d : A M A A
For t h l et t er of each wor d : S B N S
Fi f t h l et t er of each wor d : K I C I
Si xt h l et t er of each wor d : A A E A
Hence, t he answer i s AAEA.

============================


Suppose f i ve bal es of hay ar e wei ghed t wo at a t i me i n al l possi bl e ways. The wei ght s i n
pounds ar e 110, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, and 121.
How much does each bal e wei gh?
Submi t t ed by : Tr avi s Lar a

Answer

They wei gh 54, 56, 58, 59, 62 pounds.
Let ' s assume t hat t he wei ght of f i ve bal es ar e B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5 pounds r espect i vel y.
Al so, B1 <= B2 <= B3 <= B4 <= B5
I t i s gi ven t hat f i ve bal es of hay ar e wei ghed t wo at a t i me i n al l possi bl e ways. I t means
t hat each of t he bal e i s wei ght ed f our t i mes.
Thus,
4*( B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + B5) = ( 110 + 112 + 113 + 114 + 115 + 116 + 117 + 118 + 120 + 121)
4*( B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + B5) = 1156
( B1 + B2 + B3 + B4 + B5) = 289 pounds
Now, B1 and B2 must add t o 110 as t hey ar e t he l i ght est one.
B1 + B2 = 110
Si mi l ar l y, B4 and B5 must add t o 121 as t hey ar e t he heavi est one.
B4 + B5 = 121

Fr omabove t hr ee equat i on, we get B3 = 58 pounds
Al so, i t i s obvi ous t hat B1 and B3 wi l l add t o 112 - t he next possi bl e hi gher val ue.
Si mi l ar l y, B3 and B5 wi l l add t o 120 - t he next possi bl e l ower val ue.
B1 + B3 = 112
B3 + B5 = 120

Subst i t ut i ng B3 = 58, we get B1 = 54 and B5 = 62
Fr om2 & 3 equat i ons, we get B2 = 56 and B4 = 59

Hence, t he wei ght of f i ve bal es ar e 54, 56, 58, 59 and 62 pounds.

================================


Buf f al o pr oduces 10 pounds of mi l k dai l y, a cow pr oduces 1 pound of mi l k dai l y, and sheep
pr oduce 1/ 4 pound of mi l k dai l y.
I need exact l y 100 pounds of mi l k f r omexact l y 100 di f f er ent ani mal s dai l y. Al so, I shoul d
use al l 3 t ypes of ani mal s.
How do I get i t ?
Submi t t ed by : J K

Answer

Ther e ar e 7 possi bl e answer s t o i t .
Assume t hat t her e ar e B Buf f al oes, C Cows and S Sheep.
I t i s gi ven t hat a Buf f al o pr oduces 10 pounds of mi l k, a Cow pr oduces 1 pound of mi l e and a
Sheep pr oduces 0. 25 pound of mi l k. Al so, we need 100 pound of mi l k f r omexact l y 100
ani mal s, we get 2 equat i ons.
10*B + C + 0. 25*S = 100 - - - - - - - - - ( I )
B + C + S = 100 - - - - - - - - - ( I I )
Subt r act i ng equat i on ( I I ) f r omequat i on ( I )
9*B - 0. 75*S = 0
36*B - 3*S = 0 ( mul t i pl i ed by 4)
12*B - S = 0 ( di vi si on by 3)
12*B = S

Now, f or di f f er ent val ues of B, we wi l l get mul t i pl e sol ut i ons.

* 1 Buf f al o, 12 Sheep, 87 Cows
* 2 Buf f al oes, 24 Sheep, 74 Cows

=======================================


What ar e t he next t wo number i n t he ser i es?
1, 2, 4, 7, 28, 33, 198, ?, ?

Answer

The pat t er n i s : 1 + 1 * 2 + 3 * 4 + 5 * 6 + 7 * 8 + 9 * 10 or t o t he cur r ent number add
and mul t i pl y al t er nat i vel y by t he number ' s posi t i on t o get t he next number .

Fi r st number = 1
Second number = 1 + 1 = 2
Thi r d number = 2 * 2 = 4
Four t h number = 4 + 3 = 7
Fi f t h number = 7 * 4 = 28
Si xt h number = 28 + 5 = 33
Sevent h number = 33 * 6 = 198
Ei ght number = 198 + 7 = 205
Ni nt h number = 205 * 8 = 1640
Tent h number = 1640 + 9 = 1649

==================================


Ther e i s a 4- char act er code, wi t h 2 of t hembei ng l et t er s and t he ot her 2 bei ng number s.
How many maxi mumat t empt s woul d be necessar y t o f i nd t he cor r ect code? Not e t hat t he code
i s case- sensi t i ve.
Submi t t ed by : Dest r uct o_gi r l

Answer

The maxi mumnumber of at t empt s r equi r ed ar e 16, 22, 400
Ther e ar e 52 possi bl e l et t er s - a t o z and A t o Z, and 10 possi bl e number s - 0 t o 9. Now, 4
char act er s - 2 l et t er s and 2 number s, can be sel ect ed i n 52*52*10*10 ways. These 4
char act er s can be ar r anged i n 4C2 i . e. 6 di f f er ent ways - t he number of uni que pat t er ns
t hat can be f or med by l i ni ng up 4 obj ect s of whi ch 2 ar e di st i ngui shed one way ( i . e. t hey
must be l et t er s) and t he ot her 2 ar e di st i ngui shed anot her way ( i . e. t hey must be number s) .

Consi der an exampl e : Let ' s assume t hat @r epr esent s l et t er and # r epr esent s number . t he 6
possi bl e ways of ar r angi ng t hemar e : @@##, @#@#, @##@, #@@#, #@#@, ##@@

Hence, t he r equi r ed answer i s
= 52*52*10*10*6
= 16, 22, 400 at t empt s
= 1. 6 mi l l i on appr ox.

Thanks t o Ti mSander s f or openi ng Br ai nVi st a' s br ai n ! ! !

=============================


A, B and C ar e t hr ee poi nt s on a st r ai ght l i ne, not necessar i l y equi di st ant wi t h B bei ng
bet ween A and C. Thr ee semi ci r cl es ar e dr awn on t he same si de of t he l i ne wi t h AB, BC and
AC as t he di amet er s. BD i s per pendi cul ar t o t he l i ne ABC, and D l i es on t he semi ci r cl e AC.
I f t he f unny shaped di agr ambet ween t he t hr ee semi ci r cl es has an ar ea of 1000 squar e cms,
f i nd t he l engt h of BD.

Answer

The l engt h of BD i s 35. 68 cms
Ther e ar e 3 r i ght - angl ed t r i angl es - ABD, CBD and ADC.
Fr omABD, AB^2 + BD^2 = AD^2 - - - - - - I
Fr omCBD, CB^2 + BD^2 = CD^2 - - - - - - I I
Fr omADC, AD^2 + CD^2 = AC^2 - - - - - - I I I

Addi ng I and I I ,
AB^2 + BC^2 + 2*BD^2 = AD^2 + CD^2 - - - - - - I V

FROM I I I and I V
AB^2 + BC^2 + 2*BD^2 = AC^2
AB^2 + BC^2 + 2*BD^2 = ( AB+CB) ^2
2*BD^2 = 2*AB*CB
BD^2 = AB*CB
BD = SQRT( AB*CB)

Gi ven t hat f unny shaped di agr ambeween t hr ee semi ci r cl es has an ar ea of 1000 squar e cms.
[ PI / 2 * ( AC/ 2) ^2] - [ PI / 2 * ( AB/ 2) ^2] - [ PI / 2 * ( BC/ 2) ^2] = 1000
PI / 8 * [ AC^2 - AB^2 - BC^2] = 1000
PI * [ ( AB+BC) ^2 - AB^2 - BC^2] = 8000
PI * [ 2*AB*BC] = 8000
AB * BC = 4000/ PI

Hence BD = SQRT( 4000/ PI ) = 35. 68 cms
wher e PI = 3. 141592654

Hence, t he l engt h of BD i s 35. 68 cms.

==================================


Ther e ar e f our gr oups of Mangoes, Appl es and Bananas as f ol l ows:
Gr oup I : 1 Mango, 1 Appl es and 1 Banana
Gr oup I I : 1 Mango, 5 Appl es and 7 Bananas
Gr oup I I I : 1 Mango, 7 Appl es and 10 Bananas
Gr oup I V : 9 Mango, 23 Appl es and 30 Bananas

Gr oup I I cost s Rs 300 and Gr oup I I I cost s Rs 390.
Can you t el l how much does Gr oup I and Gr oup I V cost ?

Answer

Gr oup I cost s Rs 120 and Gr oup I V cost s Rs 1710
Assume t hat t he val ues of one mango, one appl e and one banana ar e M, A and B r espect i vel y.
Fr omGr oup I I : M + 5A + 7B = 300
Fr omGr oup I I I : M + 7A + 10B = 390

Subt r act i ng above t o equat i ons : 2A + 3B = 90

For Gr oup I :
= M + A + B
= ( M + 5A + 7B) - ( 4A + 6B)
= ( M + 5A + 7B) - 2( 2A + 3B)
= 300 - 2( 90)
= 300 - 180
= 120

Si mi l ar l y, f or Gr oup I V :
= 9M + 23A + 30B
= 9( M + 5A + 7B) - ( 22A + 33B)
= 9( M + 5A + 7B) - 11( 2A + 3B)
= 9( 300) - 11( 90)
= 2700 - 990
= 1710

Thus, Gr oup I cost s Rs 120 and Gr oup I V cost s Rs 1710.

=============================


I n Col umn- I bel ow, ar e gi ven some wor ds. These have been t r ansl at ed i nt o a code l anguage.
The code equi val ent s of t he wor ds i n Col umn- I ar e gi ven i n Col umn- I I , not necessar i l y
opposi t e t o t he cor r espondi ng wor ds. Al so, t he codes f or t he di f f er ent l et t er s i n each wor d
have al so not been gi ven t he same or der as t hese l et t er occur i n t he or i gi nal wor d.

COLUMN- I COLUMN- I I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TAPE moi
COP l hhpok
TI E nl s
ROTATE nhpk
SAY nkpl
TREAT msr
YEAR khl ph
SI P hr p
TYRE pml h
Can you decode t he i ndi vi dual l et t er codes?

Answer

We f i r st f i nd t he exact codes of t he each gi ven wor ds.
ROTATE i s a 6- l et t er wor d. So i t s code i s l hhpok. And h i s f or T.
TREAT i s a 5- l et t er wor d. So i t s code i s khl ph.
The 4- l et t er wor ds ar e TAPE, YEAR, TYRE and codes ar e nhpk, nkpl , pml h. YEAR and TYRE have
3 l et t er s i n common ( Y, E, R) . They must be ei t her nhpk or nkpl . Hence, t he code f or TAPE
i s pml h and mi s f or P. Al so t he code f or TYRE i s nhpk ( as h i s f or T) and t he code f or
YEAR i s nkpl .

The 3- l et t er wor ds ar e COP, TI E, SAY, SI P and codes ar e moi , nl s, msr , hr p.
The code f or TI E i s hr p.
The code f or SI P i s msr .
The code f or COP i s moi . And t he code f or SAY i s nl s.

Thus, t he wor ds and t hei r codes ar e:

ROTATE l hhpok
TREAT khl ph
TAPE pml h
TYRE nhpk
YEAR nkpl
TI E hr p
COP moi
SI P msr
SAY nl s

So f ar we know t hat h i s f or T and mi s f or P.
I n SAY and SI P, t he common l et t er i s S st ands f or s.
I n TYRE and SAY, t he common l et t er Y st ands f or n.
Thus, i n SAY, t he r emai ni ng l et t er A st ands f or l .

I n TI E and SI P, t he common l et t er I st ands f or r .
Thus, i n TI E, t he r emai ni ng l et t er E st ands f or p.

I n ROTATE and COP, t he common l et t er O st ands f or o.
Thus, i n ROTATE, t he r emai ni ng l et t er R st ands f or k.
Al so, i n COP, t he r emai ni ng l et t er C st ands f or i .
Summer i zi ng h- T, i - C, k- R, l - A, m- P, n- Y, o- O, p- E, r - I , s- S

========================================


What ar e t he next t wo l et t er s i n t he ser i es?
E, O, E, R, E, X, N, T, E, _, _
Submi t t ed by : Kat i e Ci nquegr ana

Answer

The next t wo l et t er s i n t he ser i es ar e N and N
The pat t er n i s - Last l et t er of t he number s st ar t i ng f r om1 when wr i t t en i n Engl i sh i . e.
onE, t wO, t hr eE, f ouR, f i vE, si X, seveN, ei ghT, ni nE, t eN, el eveN, t wel vE, et c. . .

=====================================


Fi nd al l set s of consecut i ve i nt eger s t hat add up t o 1000.
Submi t t ed by : J ames Bar ber ousse

Answer

Ther e ar e t ot al 8 such ser i es:
1. Sumof 2000 number s st ar t i ng f r om- 999 i . e. summat i on of number s f r om- 999 t o 1000.
( - 999) + ( - 998) + ( - 997) + . . . . . + ( - 1) + 0 + 1 + 2 + . . . . . + 997 + 998 + 999 + 1000
= 1000
( - 197) + ( - 196) + ( - 195) + . . . . . + ( - 1) + 0 + 1 + 2 + . . . . . + 199 + 200 + 201 + 202 =
1000
( - 54) + ( - 53) + ( - 52) + . . . . . + ( - 1) + 0 + 1 + 2 + . . . . . + 68 + 69 + 70 = 1000
( - 27) + ( - 26) + ( - 25) + . . . . . + ( - 1) + 0 + 1 + 2 + . . . . . + 50 + 51 + 52 = 1000
5. Sumof 25 number s st ar t i ng f r om28 i . e. summat i on of number s f r om28 t o 52.
28 + 29 + 30 + 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35 + 36 + 37 + 38 + 39 + 40 + 41 + 42 + 43 + 44 +
45 + 46 + 47 + 48 + 49 + 50 + 51 + 52 = 1000
55 + 56 + 57 + 58 + 59 +60 + 61 + 62 + 63 + 64 + 65 + 66 + 67 + 68 + 69 + 70 = 1000
198 + 199 + 200 +201 + 202 = 1000
8. Sumof 1 number st ar t i ng f r om1000.
1000 = 1000

==============================


One si de of t he bot t oml ayer of a t r i angul ar pyr ami d has 12 bal l s. How many ar e t her e i n
t he whol e pyr ami d?
Not e t hat t he pyr ami d i s equi l at er al and sol i d.
Submi t t ed by : Angel a Par r

Answer

Ther e ar e t ot al 364 bal l s.
As t her e ar e 12 bal l s al ong one si de, i t means t hat t her e ar e 12 l ayer s of bal l s. The t op
most l ayer has 1 bal l . The second l ayer has 3 ( 1+2) bal l s. The t hi r d l ayer has 6 ( 1+2+3)
bal l s. The f our t h l ayer has 10 ( 1+2+3+4) bal l s. The f i f t h l ayer has 15 ( 1+2+3+4+5) bal l s.
Si mi l ar l y, t her e ar e 21, 28, 36, 45, 55, 66 and 78 bal l s i n t he r emai ni ng l ayer s.
Hence, t he t ot al number of bal l s ar e
= 1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 + 28 + 36 + 45 + 55 + 66 + 78
= 364 bal l s

================================


Sachi n, Dr avi d and Gangul y pl ayed i n a Cr i cket mat ch bet ween I ndi a and Engl and.
* None of t hemscor ed mor e t han 99 r uns.
* I f you add t he di gi t s of t he r uns scor ed by Sachi n t o hi s own scor e, you wi l l get t he
r uns scor ed by Dr avi d.
* I f you r ever se t he di gi t s of t he r uns scor ed by Dr avi d, you wi l l get t he r uns scor ed
by Gangul y.
* The t ot al r uns scor ed by t hemi s 240.
Can you f i gur e out t hei r i ndi vi dual scor es?

Answer

Sachi n, Dr avi d and Gangul y scor ed 75, 87 and 78 r espect i vel y.
Sachi n' s scor e must be l ess t han 86, ot her wi se Dr avi d' s scor e woul d be mor e t han 99. Al so,
he must have scor ed at l east 42 - i ncase Dr avi d and Gangul y scor ed 99 each.
Al so, as none of t hemscor ed mor e t han 99 and t he t ot al r uns scor ed by t hemi s 240; t hei r
i ndi vi dual scor es must be ar ound 80.
Now, use t r i al - n- er r or met hod t o sol ve t he t easer .

===========================


Veer u says t o J ay, " Can you f i gur e out how many Eggs I have i n my bucket ?" He gi ves 3 cl ues
t o J ay: I f t he number of Eggs I have
1. i s a mul t i pl e of 5, i t i s a number bet ween 1 and 19
2. i s not a mul t i pl e of 8, i t i s a number bet ween 20 and 29
3. i s not a mul t i pl e of 10, i t i s a number bet ween 30 and 39
How many Eggs does Veer u have i n hi s bucket ?

Answer

32 eggs
Let ' s appl y al l 3 condi t i on separ at el y and put al l possi bl e number s t oget her .
Fi r st condi t i on says t hat i f mul t i pl e of 5, t hen t he number i s bet ween 1 and 19. Hence, t he
possi bl e number s ar e ( 5, 10, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,
35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
Second condi t i on says t hat i f not a mul t i pl e of 8, t hen t he number i s bet ween 20 and 29.
Hence, t he possi bl e number s ar e ( 8, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32)
Thi r d condi t i on says t hat i f not a mul t i pl e of 10, t hen t he number i s bet ween 30 and 39.
Hence, t he possi bl e number s ar e ( 10, 20, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
Onl y number 32 i s t her e i n al l 3 r esul t set s. That means t hat onl y number 32 sat i sf i es al l
t hr ee condi t i ons. Hence, Veer u have 32 eggs i n hi s bucket .

===================================


Consi der a chessboar d wi t h a si ngl e Rook. A Rook can move any number of squar e
si deways/ f or war d, but not di agonal l y.
What i s t he mi ni mumnumber of moves t he Rook needs t o make, i n or der t o pass over al l t he
squar es on t he chessboar d and r et ur n t o t he or i gi nal posi t i on?
Not e: Take any squar e as a st ar t i ng posi t i on f or t he Rook.

Answer

16 moves
As a Rook can move any number of squar e si deways/ f or war d, but not di agonal l y and t her e ar e
8 r ows and 8 col umns on t he chessboar d; t he Rook needs mi ni mum16 moves t o pass over al l
t he squar es and r et ur n t o t he or i gi nal posi t i on.

=================================


For a TV t al k show on Bol l ywood, t he pr oducer must choose a gr oup of t wo Di r ect or s and t wo
Musi ci ans. At l east one of t hemmust be an Act or and at l east one a Si nger .
1. Avai l abl e Di r ect or s ar e Mahesh Bhat t , Kar an J ohar , Subhash Ghai , Adi t ya Chopr a and
Ashut osh.
2. Avai l abl e Musi ci ans ar e A R Rehman, Annu Mal i k, Sandeep Chowt a and Aadesh Sr i vast ava.
3. Shubash Ghai , A R Rehman and Annu Mal i k ar e Act or s.
4. Adi t ya Chopr a and Aadesh Sr i vast ava ar e Si nger s.
5. A R Rehman wi l l not seat i n t he same r oomwi t h Subhash Ghai , and wi l l t ake par t onl y
i f Mahesh Bhat t i s t her e.
6. Adi t ya Chopr a r ef uses t o t ake par t wi t h Annu Mal i k.
7. Ashut osh r ef uses t o t ake par t wi t h Aadesh Sr i vast ava.
How many accept abl e gr oups can t he pr oducer put t oget her ?

Answer

The pr oducer can put 9 accept abl e gr oups t oget her .
Your basi c sol ut i on st ep i s t o make a t abl e of t he possi bl e per sons and qual i f i cat i ons on
t he Musi ci ans si de, wi t h t he possi bl e combi nat i ons on t he Di r ect or s si de.
Not e t hat A R Rehman i nsi st s on Mahesh Bhat t bei ng pr esent , but t he r ever se i s not t r ue.
Al so, r emember t hat t her e must be at l east one act or and at l east one si nger . The val i d
combi nat i ons ar e:

Musi ci an Di r ect or
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
( A R Rehman, Sandeep Chowt a) ( Mahesh Bhat t , Adi t ya Chopr a)
( A R Rehman, ( Mahesh Bhat t , Kar an J ohar )
Aadesh Sr i vast ava) ( Mahesh Bhat t , Adi t ya Chopr a)
( Annu Mal i k, ( Mahesh Bhat t , Kar an J ohar )
Aadesh Sr i vast ava) ( Mahesh Bhat t , Subhash Ghai )
( Kar an J ohar , Subhash Ghai )
( Sandeep Chowt a, ( Mahesh Bhat t , Subhash Ghai )
Aadesh Sr i vast ava) ( Kar an J ohar , Subhash Ghai )
( Adi t ya Chopr a, Subhash Ghai )
Thus, t her e ar e t ot al 9 accept abl e gr oups.

========================================


* A i s t he f at her of t wo chi l dr en - B and D who ar e of di f f er ent sexes.
* C i s B' s spouse.
* E i s t he same sex as D.
* B and C have t he t wo chi l dr en - F who i s t he same sex as B and G who i s t he same sex
as C.
* E' s mot her , H who i s mar r i ed t o L, i s t he si st er of D' s mot her , M.
* E and E' s spouse, I have t wo chi l dr en - J and K who ar e t he same sex as I .
Not e t hat no per sons have mar r i ed mor e t han once. Al so, t her e ar e mor e number of f emal es
t han mal es. Can you t el l how many f emal es ar e t her e?

Answer

Ther e ar e 7 f emal es and 6 mal es.
Assume t hat t her e ar e f our sexes - mal e, f emal e, X and Y. Pr epar e t he f ol l owi ng t r ee based
on t he dat a gi ven :
si st er
L( m) - H( f ) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - M( f ) - A( m)
| |
| |
E( x) - I ( y) D( x) B( y) - C( x)
| |
| |
J ( y) K( y) F( y) G( x)

I t i s cl ear t hat t her e ar e al t oget her 13 per sons - 2 mal es, 2 f emal es, 4 Xs and 5 Ys.
I t i s gi ven t hat t her e ar e mor e number of f emal es t han mal e. Hence, al l Y must r epr esent
f emal e. Thus, t her e ar e 7 f emal es and 6 mal es.

===========================================


Pl ace t he number s f r om1 t o 15 i n t he bl ocks bel ow, wi t hout r epeat i ng any of t hem, such a
way t hat t he sumof t he number s i n any t wo adj acent bl ocks i s al ways a per f ect squar e.
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
A whol e number i s sai d t o be a per f ect squar e i f i t i s equal t o some whol e number
mul t i pl i ed by i t sel f . e. g. 36 ( 6*6) , 121 ( 11*11)

Answer

[ 9] [ 7] [ 2] [ 14] [ 11] [ 5] [ 4] [ 12] [ 13] [ 3] [ 6] [ 10] [ 15] [ 1] [ 8]
Fi nd out al l t he possi bl e pai r s of t he number s f r om1 t o 15 t hat sumup t o a per f ect
squar e.
1: ( 1, 3) , ( 1, 8) , ( 1, 15)
2: ( 2, 7) , ( 2, 14)
3: ( 3, 6) , ( 3, 13)
4: ( 4, 5) , ( 4, 12)
5: ( 5, 4) , ( 5, 11)
6: ( 6, 3) , ( 6, 10)
7: ( 7, 2) , ( 7, 9)
8: ( 8, 1)
9: ( 9, 7)
10: ( 10, 6) , ( 10, 15)
11: ( 11, 5) , ( 11, 14)
12: ( 12, 4) , ( 12, 13)
13: ( 13, 3) , ( 13, 12)
14: ( 14, 2) , ( 14, 11)
15: ( 15, 1) , ( 15, 10)
Not e t hat t her e ar e 2 number s t hat wi t h j ust a one pai r i . e. ( 8, 1) and ( 9, 7) . Thus, 8 and 9
must be at t he end.
[ 9] [ 7] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ 1] [ 8]
Now, 7 have onl y one ot her pai r i . e. ( 7, 2)
[ 9] [ 7] [ 2] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ 1] [ 8]
Si mi l ar l y, t her e i s onl y one ot her pai r of 2 i . e. ( 2, 14)
[ 9] [ 7] [ 2] [ 14] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ 1] [ 8]
Fol l owi ng t he same pr ocedur e, t he f i nal sol ut i on i s
[ 9] [ 7] [ 2] [ 14] [ 11] [ 5] [ 4] [ 12] [ 13] [ 3] [ 6] [ 10] [ 15] [ 1] [ 8]

===================================


Repl ace t he l et t er s wi t h t he cor r ect number s.
T WO
X T WO
- - - - - - - - -
T H R E E
Submi t t ed by : Ti mmy Chan

Answer

T=1, W=3, O=8, H=9, R=2, E=4
1 3 8
x 1 3 8
- - - - - - - - - - - -
1 9 0 4 4

You can r educe t he number of t r i al s. T must be 1 as t her e i s mul t i pl i cat i on of T wi t h T i n
hundr ed' s posi t i on. Al so, O can not be 0 or 1. Now, you have t o f i nd t hr ee di gi t number
whose squar e sat i sf i es above condi t i ons and squar e of t hat has same l ast t wo di gi t s. Hence,
i t must be bet ween 102 and 139.

=======================================


S T I L L
+ W I T H I N
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
L I M I T S

Answer

The val ue of L must be one mor e t han Wi . e. L=W+1 and t her e must be one car r y f r omS+I =I .
Al so, t he val ue of S must be 9 as S+I =I wi t h one car r y f r omT+T=M, whi ch means t hat t he
val ue of T must be gr eat er t han 4.
Fr omI +H=I , t he val ue of H must be 0 as t he val ue of S i s 9.
Now, appl yi ng al l t hose const r ai nt s and usi ng t r i al - n- er r or , we get t wo possi bl e answer s.
9 7 1 6 6 9 8 5 3 3
+ 5 1 7 0 1 3 + 2 5 8 0 5 6
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 1 4 1 7 9 3 5 6 5 8 9

=========================================


Si l u and Meenu wer e wal ki ng on t he r oad.
Si l u sai d, " I wei gh 51 Kgs. How much do you wei gh?"
Meenu r epl i ed t hat she woul dn' t r eveal her wei ght di r ect l y as she i s over wei ght . But she
sai d, " I wei gh 29 Kgs pl us hal f of my wei ght . "
How much does Meenu wei gh?

Answer

Meenu wei ghs 58 Kgs.
I t i s gi ven t hat Meenu wei ghs 29 Kgs pl us hal f of her own wei ght . I t means t hat 29 Kgs i s
t he ot her hal f . So she wei ghs 58 Kgs.
Sol vi ng mat hemat i cal l y, l et ' s assume t hat her wei ght i s X Kgs.
X = 29 + X/ 2
2*X = 58 + X
X = 58 Kgs

==================================


The t hr ee of us made some bet s.
Fi r st , Wal do won f r omMol l y as much as Wal do had or i gi nal l y. Next , Mol l y won f r omSpi ke as
much as Mol l y t hen had l ef t . Fi nal l y, Spi ke won f r omWal do as much as Spi ke t hen had l ef t .
We ended up havi ng equal amount s of money.
I st ar t ed wi t h 50 cent s. Who amI ?

Answer

I amMol l y.
Let Wal do st ar t wi t h W, Mol l y wi t h M, and Spi ke wi t h S. Fol l owi ng t he above account we get
t he f ol l owi ng pr ogr essi on of money:
W= 2*W, M = M- W
M = 2*( M- W) , S = S- ( M- W) = S+W- M
S = 2*( S+W- M) , W= 2*W- ( S+W- M) = W+M- S
And so Wal do f i ni shed wi t h W+M- S, Mol l y wi t h 2*( M- W) , and Spi ke wi t h 2*( S+W- M) .
Si nce t hese must al l be equal , we have t hr ee equat i ons and t hr ee unknowns, so sol ve; t hi s
gi ves us t hat 4*M = 5*S and 3*S = 4*W.
Now, i f S = 1/ 2 t hi s i mpl i es t hat W= 3/ 8 = 37. 5 cent s, an i mpossi bl e amount of money t o
st ar t wi t h.
I f W= 1/ 2 t hi s i mpl i es t hat S = 2/ 3, agai n an i mpossi bl e amount t o st ar t wi t h.
Fi nal l y, i f M = 1/ 2 t hi s i mpl i es t hat S = 2/ 5 = 40 cent s, W= 3/ 10 = 30 cent s, whi ch wor ks.
I t f ol l ows t hat I amMol l y.

================================


Ther e ar e 10 cups pl aced on a t abl e such t hat 3 ar e f ace up and 7 ar e bot t omup. A move i s
def i ned as i nver t i ng a pai r ( compul sor i l y) of cups.
What i s t he mi ni mumnumber of moves r equi r ed t o make al l t he cups f ace t he same way?

Answer

I t i s not at al l possi bl e. Ther e i s no way t hat one can do t hat wi t h gi ven Move.
A move i s def i ned as i nver t i ng a pai r of cups, compul sor i l y. Al so, t her e ar e odd number of
cups f ace up ( 3) and odd number of cups bot t omup ( 7) . Now whenever you make a move you have
t o i nver t 2 cups compul sor i l y. Hence, al ways odd number of cups wi l l be f ace up and bot t om
up, what ever move you make.

====================================


Ther e ar e t hr ee bul bs on 19t h f l oor and t her e ar e t hr ee swi t ches X, Y and Z on t he gr ound
f l oor . Each swi t ch bel ongs t o one bul bs, not necessar i l y i n or der . You can swi t ch on or of f
as many t i mes you want but you can go on 19t h f l oor onl y once.
How wi l l you f i nd out whi ch swi ch bel ongs t o whi ch bul b? Not e t hat you ar e t he onl y per son
over t her e. You can' t go out si de and can' t use any t ool s.

Answer

The bul b becomes hot , i f you keep i t on f or some t i me. Thi s i s t he char act er i st i cs of t he
bul b and we can use i t t o sol ve t he t easer .
Swi t ch on t he swi t ch X and wai t f or some t i me say 10 mi nut es, t hen swi t ch i t of f . Now
swi t ch on t he swi t ch Y and go up t o t he 19t h f l oor and check t he bul bs.
The bul b whi ch i s hot but not l i t cor r esponds t o swi t ch X.
The bul b whi ch i s l i t cor r esponds t o swi t ch Y.
The t hi r d bul b whi ch i s not l i t and i s col d cor r esponds t o swi t ch Z.

=====================================


Lal oo, Bal oo and Nal oo wer e at t he Heal t h Cl ub on t he same day t hi s mont h.
1. They al l j oi ned t he heal t h cl ub l ast mont h.
2. One of t hemgoes ever y 2 days, anot her one goes ever y 3 days and t he t hi r d one goes
ever y 7 days.
3. Lal oo went t o t he heal t h cl ub f or t he f i r st t i me t hi s mont h on a Monday, Bal oo went
t o t he heal t h cl ub f or t he f i r st t i me t hi s mont h on a Wednesday and Nal oo went t o t he
heal t h cl ub f or t he f i r st t i me t hi s mont h on a Fr i day.
4. Exact l y one of t hemwas at t he heal t h cl ub on t he f i r st day of t hi s mont h.
On whi ch day of t hi s mont h di d Lal oo, Bal oo and Nal oo meet ?
Not e t hat her e " t hi s mont h" means any one mont h i n gener al .

Answer

They met on t he 27t h of t hi s mont h.
Fi nd out i ndi vi dual dat es on whi ch t hey wer e at t he cl ub.
Fr om( 2) , 2- day man went t o t he heal t h cl ub f or t he f i r st t i me t hi s mont h on t he 1st or
2nd. Al so, 3- day man went t o t he heal t h cl ub f or t he f i r st t i me t hi s mont h on t he 1st , 2nd
or 3r d. Ther e ar e t wo possi bl e cases:

Case I :
Lal oo went on Monday, t he 1st and ever y t wo days t her eaf t er . Bal oo went on Wednesday, t he
3r d and ever y t hr ee days t her eaf t er . Nal oo went on Fr i day, t he 5t h and ever y seven days
t her eaf t er . Then,
Lal oo' s dat es - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
Bal oo' s dat es - 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30
Nal oo' s dat es - 5, 12, 19, 26

Case I I :
Bal oo went on Wednesday, t he 1st and ever y t wo days t her eaf t er . Nal oo went on Fr i day, t he
3r d and ever y t hr ee days t her eaf t er . Lal oo went on Monday, t he 6t h and ever y seven days
t her eaf t er . Then,
Bal oo' s dat es - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
Nal oo' s dat es - 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30
Lal oo' s dat es - 6, 13, 20, 27

I t i s gi ven t hat t hey wer e at t he cl ub on t he same day t hi s mont h, t hen Case I i s not
possi bl e. And f r omCase I I , t hey met on t he 27t h of t hi s mont h.

=======================================


A man i s goi ng t o an Ant i que Car auct i on. Al l pur chases must be pai d f or i n cash. He goes
t o t he bank and dr aws out $25, 000.
Si nce t he man does not want t o be seen car r yi ng t hat much money, he pl aces i t i n 15
evel opes number ed 1 t hr ough 15. Each envel ope cont ai ns t he l east number of bi l l s possi bl e
of any avai l abl e US cur r ency ( i . e. no t wo t ens i n pl ace of a t went y) .
At t he auct i on he makes a successf ul bi d of $8322 f or a car . He hands t he auct i oneer
envel opes number ( s) 2, 8, and 14. Af t er openi ng t he envel opes t he auct i oneer f i nds exact l y
t he r i ght amount .
How many ones di d t he auct i oneer f i nd i n t he envel opes?

Answer

Each envel ope cont ai ns t he money equal t o t he 2 r ai sed t o t he envel ope number mi nus 1. The
sent ence " Each envel ope cont ai ns t he l east number of bi l l s possi bl e of any avai l abl e US
cur r ency" i s onl y t o mi sgui de you. Thi s i s al ways possi bl e f or any amount ! ! !
One mor e t hi ng t o not i ce her e i s t hat t he man must have pl aced money i n envel opes i n such a
way t hat i f he bi ds f or any amount l ess t han $25000, he shoul d be abl e t o pi ck t hemi n
t er ms of envel opes.
Fi r st envel ope cont ai ns, 20 = $1
Second envel ope cont ai ns, 21 = $2
Thi r d envel ope cont ai ns, 22 = $4
Four t h envel ope cont ai ns, 23 = $8 and so on. . .
Hence t he amount i n envel opes ar e $1, $2, $4, $8, $16, $32, $64, $128, $256, $512, $1024,
$2048, $4096, $8192, $8617
Last envel ope ( No. 15) cont ai ns onl y $8617 as t ot al amount i s onl y $25000.
Now as he bi ds f or $8322 and gi ves envel ope number 2, 8 and 14 whi ch cont ai ns $2, $128 and
$8192 r espect i vel y.
Envel ope No 2 conr ai ns one $2 bi l l
Envel ope No 8 conr ai ns one $100 bi l l , one $20 bi l l , one $5 bi l l , one $2 bi l l and one $1
bi l l
Envel ope No 14 conr ai ns ei ght y- one $100 bi l l , one $50 bi l l , f our $10 bi l l and one $2 bi l l
Hence t he auct i oneer wi l l f i nd one $1 bi l l i n t he envel opes.

====================================


One of Mr . Baj aj , hi s wi f e, t hei r son and Mr . Baj aj ' s mot her i s an Engi neer and anot her i s
a Doct or .
* I f t he Doct or i s a mal e, t hen t he Engi neer i s a mal e.
* I f t he Engi neer i s younger t han t he Doct or , t hen t he Engi neer and t he Doct or ar e not
bl ood r el at i ves.
* I f t he Engi neer i s a f emal e, t hen she and t he Doct or ar e bl ood r el at i ves.
Can you t el l who i s t he Doct or and t he Engi neer ?

Answer

Mr . Baj aj i s t he Engi neer and ei t her hi s wi f e or hi s son i s t he Doct or .
Mr . Baj aj ' s wi f e and mot her ar e not bl ood r el at i ves. So f r om3, i f t he Engi neer i s a
f emal e, t he Doct or i s a mal e. But f r om1, i f t he Doct or i s a mal e, t hen t he Engi neer i s a
mal e. Thus, t her e i s a cont r adi ct i on, i f t he Engi neer i s a f emal e. Hence, ei t her Mr . Baj aj
or hi s son i s t he Engi neer .

Mr . Baj aj ' s son i s t he youngest of al l f our and i s bl ood r el at i ve of each of t hem. So f r om
2, Mr . Baj aj ' s son i s not t he Engi neer . Hence, Mr . Baj aj i s t he Engi neer .

Now f r om2, Mr . Baj aj ' s mot her can not be t he Doct or . So t he Doct or i s ei t her hi s wi f e or
hi s son . I t i s not possi bl e t o det er mi ne anyt hi ng f ur t her .

===================================


Her e i s t he f ami l y t r ee of Mr . RAHUL
RAHUL
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
| | | |
RATI SH YASH OM TRI LOK
| | ?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
| | | | |
AMAR AMI T RAM HARSH ASHOK
| |
- - - - - - - - - - - -
| | | | |

How many chi l dr en does Mr . TRI LOK have?

Answer

TRI LOK have 5 chi l dr en.
Name of t he per son and number of hi s chi l dr en ar e r el at ed by some pat t er n.
Assi gn each vowel f ol l owi ng val ues.
A=0 E=1 I =2 O=3 U=4
The number of chi l dr en t o any per son i s t he sumof t he val ues r epr esent ed by vowel s i n hi s
name.
RATI SH = 0( A) + 2( I ) = 2
OM = 3( O) = 3
AMI T = 0( A) + 2( I ) = 2
ASHOK = 0( A) + 3( O) = 3
TRI LOK = 2( I ) + 3( O) = 5

Hence, TRI LOK have 5 chi l dr en.

======================================


Fi nd t he l east number whi ch when di vi ded by 35, l eaves r emai nder 25; when di vi ded by 45,
l eaves r emai nder 35 and when di vi ded by 55, l eaves r emai nder 45.

Answer

3455
The answer i s LCM of ( 35, 45, 55) mi nus 10.
LCM of ( 35, 45, 55) i s 3465.
Hence, t he answer i s 3455.

=============================


Ther e ar e 3 ant s at 3 cor ner s of a t r i angl e, t hey r andoml y st ar t movi ng t owar ds anot her
cor ner .
What i s t he pr obabi l i t y t hat t hey don' t col l i de?

Answer

Let ' s mar k t he cor ner s of t he t r i angl e as A, B, C. Ther e ar e t ot al 8 ways i n whi ch ant s can
move.

1. A- >B, B- >C, C- >A
2. A- >B, B- >C, C- >B
3. A- >B, B- >A, C- >A
4. A- >B, B- >A, C- >B
5. A- >C, C- >B, B- >A
6. A- >C, C- >B, B- >C
7. A- >C, C- >A, B- >A
8. A- >C, C- >A, B- >C

Out of whi ch, t her e ar e onl y t wo cases under whi ch t he ant s won' t col l i de :

* A- >B, B- >C, C- >A
* A- >C, C- >B, B- >A
Ther ef or e, pr obabi l i t y of ant s not col l i di ng : 2/ 8 = 1/ 4

================================


Compl et e t he ser i es :
5, 20, 24, 6, 2, 8, ?

Answer

12
Not e t he sequence of oper at i ons:
5 * 4 = 20
20 + 4 = 24
24 / 4 = 6
6 - 4 = 2
2 * 4 = 8
Ther e i s ar i t hmat i c oper at i on on t he cur r ent number t o get next number i n t he ser i es. The
sequence of oper at i ons i s *, +, / and - by 4.
So af t er mul t i pl yi ng by 4, next oper at i on i s addi t i on of 4. So t he next number i s 8 + 4 =
12

=====================================


The f l oor ar ea of Mi l an' s house i s 1007 squar e f eet . The space di agonal of t he house s
59. 75 f eet .
What wi l l be t he hei ght of t he house? Not e t hat f l oor i s r ect angl e i n shape. Al so, l engt h
and wi dt h ar e i nt eger .

Answer

20 f eet
The f l oor ar ea i s 1007 squar e f eet . The onl y possi bl e f l oor di mensi on i s 19 by 53. Thus t he
f l oor di agonal i s 56. 3 f eet .
The space di agonal i s 59. 75 f eet whi ch makes r i ght - angl ed t r i angl e wi t h f l oor di agonal and
hei ght . Hence, t he hei ght of t he house i s 20 f eet .

===========================================


B, J and P ar e r el at ed t o each ot her .
1. Among t he t hr ee ar e B' s l egal spouse, J ' s si bl i ng and P' s si st er - i n- l aw.
2. B' s l egal spouse and J ' s si bl i ng ar e of t he same sex.
Who i s t he mar r i ed man?

Answer

J i s t he mar r i ed man.
Not e t hat a per son' s si st er - i n- l aw may be t he wi f e of t hat per son' s br ot her or t he si st er
of t hat per son' s spouse.

Ther e ar e 2 cases:
1. I f B' s l egal spouse i s J , t hen J ' s si bl i ng must be P and P' s si st er - i n- l aw must be B.
2. I f B' s l egal spouse i s P, t hen P' s si st er - i n- l aw must be J and J ' s si bl i ng must be B.

I t i s gi ven t hat B' s l egal spouse and J ' s si bl i ng ar e of t he same sex. Al so, i t i s obvi ous
t hat P' s si st er - i n- l aw i s f emal e. Then, B' s l egal spouse and J ' s si bl i ng bot h must be
mal es.

B' s spouse J ' s si bl i ng P' s si st er - i n- l aw
( mal e) ( mal e) ( f emal e)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Case I J P B
Case I I P B J

Case I I i s not possi bl e as B & P ar e mar r i ed t o each ot her and bot h ar e mal e. Hence, J i s
t he mar r i ed man.

====================================


What i s t he l ast di gi t of 746? I n ot her wor ds, what wi l l t he r emai nder be, i f 746 i s
di vi ded by 10?
Don' t t r y t o sol ve t hi s on cal cul at or , you may get t he wr ong answer . Al so, do expl ai n your
answer .

Answer

The l ast di gi t of 746 i s 9.
The power s of any number have a r epeat i ng pat t er n f or t he l ast di gi t . I t can be f ound
easi l y wi t hout per f or mi ng t he ent i r e mul t i pl i cat i on of each power .
Let ' s consi der t he power s of 7.
7N Val ue Last Di gi t
70 1 1
71 7 7
72 49 9
73 343 3
74 2401 1
75 16807 1
76 117649 1

Not e t hat t her e i s a r epeat i ng pat t er n of f our number s ( 1, 7, 9, 3) f or t he power s of 7.
Hence, t he l ast di gi t of 744 wi l l be 1, of 745 wi l l be 7 and of 746 wi l l be 9.

Al so, t her e i s no need t o act ual l y per f or mt he ent i r e mul t i pl i cat i on. St ar t wi t h 1,
mul t i pl y i t by 7, di scar d al l di gi t s except uni t s and mul t i pl y agai n by 7 and so on.

==============================


What i s t he smal l est number whi ch when di vi ded by 10 l eaves a r emai nder of 9, when di vi ded
by 9 l eaves a r emai nder of 8, when di vi ded by 8 l eaves a r emai nder of 7, when di vi ded by 7
l eaves a r emai nder of 6 and so on unt i l when di vi ded by 2 l eaves a r emai nder of 1?

Answer

The smal l est such number i s 2519.
The easi est way i s t o f i nd t he Least Common Mul t i pl e ( LCM) of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
And subt r act 1 f r omi t .
The LCM of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 i s gi ven by 2520. Hence, t he r equi r ed number i s 2519.

=================================


What TWO number wi l l come next i n t he ser i es :
6, - 1, 7, - 2, 8, - 3, 9, - 4, 10, - 5, _, _

Answer

11 and - 6
The pat t er n i s : odd number s ar e count i ng up f r om6 and even number s ar e count i ng down f r om
- 1.
The ot her way i s : 6- 7+8- 9+10- 11+12- 13+14- 15+16- 17 and so on.

=================================


The cr i cket mat ch bet ween I ndi a and Paki st an was over .
* Har bhaj an scor ed mor e r uns t han Gangul y.
* Sachi n scor ed mor e r uns t han Laxman but l ess t han Dr avi d
* Badani scor ed as much r uns as Agar kar but l ess t han Dr avi d and mor e t han Sachi n.
* Gangul y scor ed mor e r uns t han ei t her Agar kar or Dr avi d.
Each bat sman scor ed 10 r uns mor e t han hi s i mmedi at e bat sman. The l owest scor e was 10 r uns.
How much di d each one of t hemscor e?

Answer

A si mpl e one. Use t he gi ven f act s and put down al l t he pl ayer s i n or der . The or der i s as
f ol l ow wi t h Har bhaj an, t he hi ghest scor er and Laxman, t he l owest scor er .
1. Har bhaj an
2. Gangul y
3. Dr avi d
4. Badani , Agar kar
5. Sachi n
6. Laxman
Al so, as t he l owest scor e was 10 r uns. Laxman must have scor ed 10, Sachi n 20, Badani &
Agar kar 30 and so on.
1. Har bhaj an - 60 r uns
2. Gangul y - 50 r uns
3. Dr avi d - 40 r uns
4. Badani , Agar kar - 30 r uns each
5. Sachi n - 20 r uns
6. Laxman - 10 r uns

=================================


What i s t he r emai nder l ef t af t er di vi di ng 1! + 2! + 3! + + 100! By 7?
Thi nk car ef ul l y ! ! !

Answer

A t r i cky one.
7! onwar ds al l t er ms ar e di vi si bl e by 7 as 7 i s one of t he f act or . So t her e i s no r emai nder
l ef t f or t hose t er ms i . e. r emai nder l ef t af t er di vi di ng 7! + 8! + 9! + . . . + 100! i s 0.
The onl y par t t o be consi der i s
= 1! + 2! + 3! + 4! + 5! + 6!
= 1 + 2 + 6 + 24 + 120 + 720
= 873
The r emai nder l ef t af t er di vi di ng 873 by 7 i s 5
Hence, t he r emai nder i s 5.

====================================


Subhash i s 14 i nches t al l er t han J at i n. The di f f er ence bet ween Subhash and Sanj eev i s t wo
i nches l ess t han bet ween Sanj eev and J at i n. Subhash at 6' 6" i s t he t al l est .
How t al l ar e Sanj eev and J at i n?

Answer

Sanj eev i s 6' and J at i n i s 5' 4"
I t i s gi ven t hat Subhash at 6' 6" i s t he t al l est and al so he i s 14 i nches t al l er t han J at i n.
I t means t hat J at i n i s 5' 4" .
Now as t he di f f er ence bet ween Subhash and Sanj eev i s t wo i nches l ess t han bet ween Sanj eev
and J at i n, Sanj eev' s hei ght i s mor e t han J at i n' s. And t hat i s 6' .
Thus, Sanj eev i s 6' and J at i n i s 5' 4" .

==============================


Di f f er ence bet ween Bhol u' s and Mol u' s age i s 2 year s and t he di f f er ence bet ween Mol u' s and
Kol u' s age i s 5 year s.
What i s t he maxi mumpossi bl e val ue of t he sumof t he di f f er ence i n t hei r ages, t aken t wo at
a t i me?
Submi t t ed by : Cake

Answer

The maxi mumpossi bl e val ue of t he sumof t he di f f er ence i n t hei r ages - t aken t wo at a t i me
- i s 14 year s.
I t i s gi ven t hat -
" Di f f er ence bet ween Bhol u' s and Mol u' s age i s 2 year s"
" Di f f er ence bet ween Mol u' s and Kol u' s age i s 5 year s"
Now, t o get t he maxi mumpossi bl e val ue, t he di f f er ence bet ween Bhol u' s and Kol u' s age
shoul d be maxi mumi . e. Mol u' s age shoul d be i n bet ween Bhol u' s and Kol u' s age. Then, t he
di f f er ence bet ween Bhol u' s and Kol u' s age i s 7 year s.
Hence, t he maxi mumpossi bl e val ue of t he sumof t he di f f er ence i n t hei r ages - t aken t wo at
a t i me - i s ( 2 + 5 + 7) 14 year s.

==================================


Maj or J asbi r i s f or mi ng f i ve- per son Speci al Task Gr oup. The gr oup must cont ai n one l eader ,
t wo bomb- exper t s and t wo sol di er s.
P, Q and R ar e possi bl e bomb- exper t s. R, S and T ar e possi bl e l eader s. U, V and War e
possi bl e sol di er s. Al so, P and R pr ef er s t o wor k wi t h each ot her i n t he same t eam. T
pr ef er s t o wor k onl y i f V wor ks.
How many di f f er ent possi bl e Gr oups, Maj or J asbi r can make?

Answer

Maj or J asbi r can make 8 di f f er ent possi bl e gr oups.
As 2 bomb- exper t s t o be sel ect ed f r omt he gi ven 3 and al so P & R pr ef er s t o wor k t oget her ,
PR must be t her e i n al l t he possi bl e Gr oups. Al so, T pr ef er s t o wor k onl y i f V wor ks. I t
doesn' t mean t hat V won' t wor k wi t hout T.
Hence, possi bl e gr oups ar e:
PR - S - UV
PR - S - VW
PR - S - WU
PR - T - UV
PR - T - VW
PQ - R - UV
PQ - R - VW
PQ - R - WU
Hence, t her e 8 di f f er ent gr oups ar e possi bl e.

=============================


I n a school , mai n- comput er passwor d changes af t er ever y hour based on set of wor ds chosen
f or each day. The f ol l owi ng i s t he set of passwor ds f or a par t i cul ar day.
9AM- 1st Passwor d: i s not r eady cl ot h br ai n bat h si mpl e
10AM- 2nd Passwor d: r eady not i s cl ot h si mpl e bat h br ai n
11AM- 3r d Passwor d: cl ot h i s not r eady br ai n bat h si mpl e
12PM- 4t h Passwor d: not i s cl ot h r eady si mpl e bat h br ai n
1PM- 5t h Passwor d: r eady cl ot h i s not br ai n bat h si mpl e
Fol l owi ng t he same r ul e, what wi l l t he 6t h Passwor d, i f t he 1st passowar d i s " Shy Shel l y
Says She Shal l Sew Sheet s" ?

Answer

The 6t h Passwor d wi l l be " Shy She Says Shel l y Sheet s Sew Shal l " .
The pat t er n i s - I n t he f i r st st ep, t he f i r st t hr ee and t he l ast t hr ee wor ds ar e wr i t t en i n
a r ever se or der . Then, t he f i r st f our and t he l ast t hr ee wor ds ar e wr i t t en i n a r ever se
or der . The pr ocess i s r epeat ed t o obt ai n successi ve passwor ds.

9AM - 1st Passwor d: Shy Shel l y Says She Shal l Sew Sheet s
10AM - 2nd Passwor d: Says Shel l y Shy She Sheet s Sew Shal l
11AM - 3r d Passwor d: She Shy Shel l y Says Shal l Sew Sheet s
12PM - 4t h Passwor d: Shel l y Shy She Says Sheet s Sew Shal l
1PM - 5t h Passwor d: Says She Shy Shel l y Shal l Sew Sheet s
2PM - 6t h Passwor d: Shy She Says Shel l y Sheet s Sew Shal l

==========================================


T H A T S
T H E
+ T H E O R Y
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A N Y W A Y


Answer

T=8, H=6, A=9, S=7, E=3, O=2, R=4, Y=1, N=5, W=0

I t s t ough one and r equi r es l ot s of t r i al - n- er r or . But i t can be r educe f r omt he f ol l owi ng
deduct i ons:
A = T + 1, T < 9 and A > 1
S + E = 10
H + R = 10
one of ( O, Y, N, W) i s 0
H > 1

Ther e ar e 8 possi bl e val ues f or ( A, T) - ( 2, 3) , ( 3, 4) , ( 4, 5) , ( 5, 6) , ( 6, 7) , ( 7, 8) , ( 8, 9)
Al so, t her e ar e 4 possi bl e val ue pai r s f or ( S, E) and ( H, R) - ( 1, 9) , ( 2, 8) , ( 3, 7) , ( 4, 6) ,
but not necessar i l y i n t he same or der .
Now, t aki ng possi bl e val ues of ( A, T) one at a t i me and eval uat i ng cor r espondi ng ( S, E) and
( H, R) val ues, we can f i nd t he answer .

T H A T S 8 6 9 8 7
T H E 8 6 3
+ T H E O R Y + 8 6 3 2 4 1
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A N Y W A Y 9 5 1 0 9 1

===============================


Ther e i s a shor t age of t ubel i ght s, bul bs and f ans i n a vi l l age - Khar ghar . I t i s f ound t hat
* Al l houses do not have ei t her t ubel i ght or bul b or f an.
* exact l y 19%of houses do not have j ust one of t hese.
* at l east 67%of houses do not have t ubel i ght s.
* at l east 83%of houses do not have bul bs.
* at l east 73%of houses do not have f ans.
What per cent age of houses do not have t ubel i ght , bul b and f an?

Answer

42%houses do not have t ubel i ght , bul b and f an.
Let ' s assume t hat t her e ar e 100 houses. Hence, t her e shoul d be t ot al 300 i t ems i . e. 100
t ubel i ght s, 100 bul bs and 100 f ans.
Fr omt he gi ven dat a, we know t hat t her e i s shor t age of at l east ( 67+83+73) 223 i t ems i n
ever y 100 houses.
Al so, exact l y 19 houses do not have j ust one i t em. I t means t hat r emai ni ng 81 houses shoul d
account f or t he shor t age of r emai ni ng ( 223- 19) 204 i t ems. I f t hose r emai ni ng 81 houses do
not have 2 i t ems each, t her e woul d be a shor t age of 162 i t ems. But t ot al of 204 i t ems ar e
shor t . Hence, at l east ( 204- 162) 42 houses do not have al l 3 i t ems - t ubel i ght , bul b and
f an.
Thus, 42%houses do not have t ubel i ght , bul b and f an.

=====================================


A ser i es compr i si ng of al phabet s cont ai ns onl y seven l et t er s. The f i r st f i ve l et t er s i n t he
gi ven ser i es ar e A, B, D, O, P
Can you f i nd out t he r emai ni ng t wo l et t er s?

Answer

The r emai ni ng t wo l et t er s ar e Q and R.
I n t he Engl i sh Al phabet , t her e ar e onl y 7 upper case l et t er s wi t h encl osed spaces or hol es
i n t hem. They ar e A, B, D, O, P, Q and R.

====================================


Fi nd next t wo number s i n t he ser i es:
60, 30, 20, 15, ?, ?

Answer

12 and 10
The pat t er n i s 60 di vi de by t he posi t i on of t he number .
The f i r st number i s 60/ 1 = 60
The second number i s 60/ 2 = 30
The t hi r d number i s 60/ 3 = 20
The f our t h number i s 60/ 4 = 15
The f i f t h number i s 60/ 5 = 12
The si xt h number i s 60/ 6 = 10
Hence t he next t wo number s i n t he ser i es ar e 12 and 10.

======================================


You have j ust bui l t a house. However , you may onl y t ake cer t ai n i t ems i nt o t he house. You
can t ake door s, but you ar en' t al l owed any wi ndows. You can' t have, but you ar e al l owed
cof f ee. A book i s okay, but no paper . Fi nal l y, you can t ake a puppy or ki t t en, but you
can' t t ake a dog or cat .
Gi ve one mor e t hi ng t hat you can/ can' t t ake, and expl ai n why.
Submi t t ed by : J W

Answer

Anyt hi ng wi t h doubl e l et t er s i n spel l i ng i s al l owed and wi t hout doubl e l et t er s i s not
al l owed.
I f you you l ook at t he spel l i ng of t he names of t he i t ems t hat ar e al l owed i n t he house,
you wi l l not i ce t hat t hey al l have doubl e l et t er s i . e. DOOR, BOOK, PUPPY, KI TTEN
So you can t ake i t ems l i ke Cof f ee, Bal l oon, Pi l l ow.

================================


Ni col e and Shar on, t oget her have mor e t han 10 but f ewer t han 30 bodyguar ds. One day, one of
t he bodyguar ds, Cr uz, deci ded t o l eave Ni col e and j oi n Shar on. Now bot h t he f emal es had t he
same number of bodyguar ds.
Event ual l y, Cr uz r ej oi ned Ni col e. Al so, J i mdeci ded t o l eave Shar on and j oi n Ni col e. Now,
bot h t he f emal es had a pr i me number of bodyguar ds.
How many bodyguar ds di d each have now?

Answer

Ni col e have 11 bodyguar ds and Shar on have 7 bodyguar ds.
I f one bodyguar d i s moved f r omone gr oup t o ot her , i t decr eases one gr oup by one and
i ncr eases ot her by one.
Bef or e Cr uz j oi ned Shar on, Ni col e had t wo mor e bodyguar ds t han Shar on. ( Si nce Cr uz' s swi t ch
made t he number of bodyguar ds of bot h t he f emal es equal )
When Cr uz swi t ched back t o Ni col e, once agai n Ni col e had t wo mor e bodyguar ds t han Shar on.
Then, J i mmoved f r omShar on t o Ni col e decr easi ng Shar on' s bodyguar ds by one and i ncr easi ng
Ni col e' s bodyguar ds by one. Hence, Ni col e had f our mor e bodyguar ds t han Shar on.
I t i s gi ven t hat t oget her had mor e t han 10 but f ewer t han 30 bodyguar ds. Al so, at t he end
t hey bot h had pr i me number of bodyguar ds. The onl y number s f i t t he gi ven condi t i ons ar e 7
and 11.
Hence, now Ni col e have 11 bodyguar ds and Shar on have 7 bodyguar ds.

====================================


The popul at i on of an i sl and consi st s of t wo and onl y t wo t ypes of peopl e : t he kni ght s, who
i nvar i abl y t el l t he t r ut h and t he knaves who al ways l i e.
One day a st anger i n t he i sl and, met f our i nhabi t ant s. He asked t he f i r st one whet her t he
second was a Kni ght or a Knave. The r epl y was " Knave" . Si mi l ar l y, t he second i nhabi t ant
sai d t hat t he t hi r d was a " Knave" , and t he t hi r d sai d t he same about t he f our t h.
Now he asked t he f our t h i nhabi t ant t hat what woul d t he f i r st have sai d about t he t hi r d. The
r epl y once agai n was " Knave" .
Who i s t he f our t h i nhabi t ant , Kni ght or Knave?

Answer

The f our t h i nhabi t ant i s a Knave.
Take t wo cases.
Assume t hat t he f i r st i nhabi t ant was a Kni ght . I t means t hat second i nhabi t ant was a Knave
as t he f i r st was t el l i ng t he t r ut h. Si mi l ar l y, t he t hi r d i nhabi t ant was a Kni ght as t he
second was l yi ng. I nt ur n, t he f or t h i nhabi t ant was a Knave as t he t hi r d was t el l i ng t he
t r ut h.
Now t he f i r st and t he t hi r d bot h ar e Kni ght . So t he f i r st woul d have sai d " Kni ght " f or t he
t hi r d per son. But t he f or t h woul d have sai d " Knave" and he di d. Hence, t he f our t h per son
was Knave.
Tr yout second case your sel f i . e. assume t hat t he f i r st i nhabi t ant was a Knave.

==============================


You have 3 basket s, & each one cont ai ns exact l y 4 bal l s, each of whi ch i s of t he same si ze.
Each bal l i s ei t her r ed, bl ack, whi t e, or pur pl e, & t her e i s one of each col or i n each
basket .
I f you wer e bl i ndf ol ded, & l i ght l y shook each basket so t hat t he bal l s woul d be r andoml y
di st r i but ed, & t hen t ook 1 bal l f r omeach basket , what chance i s t her e t hat you woul d have
exact l y 2 r ed bal l s?

Answer

Ther e ar e 64 di f f er ent possi bl e out comes, & i n 9 of t hese, exact l y 2 of t he bal l s wi l l be
r ed. Ther e i s t hus a sl i ght l y bet t er t han 14%chance [ ( 9/ 64) *100] t hat exact l y 2 bal l s wi l l
be r ed.
A much f ast er way t o sol ve t he pr obl emi s t o l ook at i t t hi s way. Ther e ar e 3 scenar i os
wher e exact l y 3 bal l s ar e r ed:
1 2 3
- - - - - - - - - - -
R R X
R X R
X R R

X i s any bal l t hat i s not r ed.
Ther e i s a 4. 6875%chance t hat each of t hese si t uat i ons wi l l occur .
Take t he f i r st one, f or exampl e: 25%chance t he f i r st bal l i s r ed, mul t i pl i ed by a 25%
chance t he second bal l i s r ed, mul t i pl i ed by a 75%chance t he t hi r d bal l i s not r ed.
Because t her e ar e 3 scenar i os wher e t hi s out come occur s, you mul t i pl y t he 4. 6875%chance of
any one occur r i ng by 3, & you get 14. 0625%

==================================


Ther e ar e 70 empl oyees wor ki ng wi t h Br ai nVi st a of whi ch 30 ar e f emal es. Al so,
* 30 empl oyees ar e mar r i ed
* 24 empl oyees ar e above 25 year s of age
* 19 mar r i ed empl oyees ar e above 25 year s, of whi ch 7 ar e mal es
* 12 mal es ar e above 25 year s of age
* 15 mal es ar e mar r i ed.
How many unmar r i ed f emal es ar e t her e and how many of t hemar e above 25?

Answer

15 unmar r i ed f emal es & none ar e above 25 year s of age.
Si mpl y put al l gi ven i nf or mat i on i nt o t he t abl e st r uct ur e and you wi l l get t he answer .
Mar r i ed Unmar r i ed
Bel ow 25 Above 25 Bel ow 25 Above 25
Femal e 3 12 15 0
Mal e 8 7 20 5

=======================================


You have 14 appl es. Your Fr i end Mar ge t akes away 3 and gi ves you 2. You dr op 7 but pi ck up
4. Br et t akes 4 and gi ves 5. You t ake one f r omMar ge and gi ve i t t o Br et i n exchange f or 3
mor e. You gi ve t hose 3 t o Mar ge and she gi ves you an appl e and an or ange. Fr ank comes and
t akes t he appl e Mar ge gave you and gi ves you a pear . You gi ve t he pear t o Br et i n exchange
f or an appl e. Fr ank t hen t akes an appl e f r omMar ge, gi ves i t t o Br et f or an or ange, gi ves
you t he or ange f or an appl e.

How many pear s do you have?
Submi t t ed by : Bi g Mi ke

Answer

None
Fr ank gave you a pear i n exchange of t he appl e whi ch Mar ge gave you. And you gave t hat pear
t o Br et i n exchange f or an appl e. Al l t he ot her s exchanges i nvol ved appl es and/ or or ganges.

================================


Ther e ar e N secr et agent s each know a di f f er ent pi ece of secr et i nf or mat i on. They can
t el ephone each ot her and exchange al l t he i nf or mat i on t hey know. Af t er t he t el ephone cal l ,
t hey bot h know anyt hi ng t hat ei t her of t hemknew bef or e t he cal l .
What ar e t he mi ni mumnumber of t el ephone cal l s needed so t hat al l of t he t hemknow
ever yt hi ng?

Answer

( 2N - 3) t el ephone cal l s, f or N = 2, 3
( 2N - 4) t el ephone cal l s, f or N > 3

Di vi de t he N secr et agent s i nt o t wo gr oups. I f N i s odd, one gr oup wi l l cont ai n one ext r a
agent .
Consi der f i r st gr oup: agent 1 wi l l cal l up agent 2, agent 2 wi l l cal l up agent 3 and so on.
Si mi l ar l y i n second gr oup, agent 1 wi l l cal l up agent 2, agent 2 wi l l cal l up agent 3 and
so on. Af t er ( N - 2) cal l s, t wo agent s i n each t he gr oup wi l l know anyt hi ng t hat anyone
knew i n hi s gr oup, say t hey ar e Y1 & Y2 f r omgr oup 1 and Z1 & Z2 f r omgr oup 2.

Now, Y1 wi l l cal l up Z1 and Y2 wi l l cal l up Z2. Hence, i n next t wo cal l s t ot al of 4 agent s
wi l l know ever yt hi ng.

Now ( N - 4) t el ephone cal l s ar e r eqi ur ed f or r emai ni ng ( N - 4) secr et agent s.
Tot al t el ephone cal l s r equi r e ar e
= ( N - 2) + 2 + ( N - 4)
= 2N - 4

Let \ ' s t ake an exampl e. Say t her e ar e 4 secr et agent s W, X, Y & Z. Di vi de t hemi nt o t wo
gr oups of 2 each i . e. ( W, X) and ( Y, Z) . Her e, 4 t el ephone cal l s ar e r equi r ed.
1. Wwi l l cal l up X.
2. Y wi l l cal l up Z.
3. W, who knows WX wi l l cal l up Y, who knows YZ.
4. X, who knows WX wi l l cal l up Z, who knows YZ.

Take an anot her exampl e. Say t her e ar e 5 secr et agent s J , K, L, M & N. Di vi de t hemi nt o t wo
gr oups i . e. ( J , K) and ( L, M, N) . Her e, 6 t el ephone cal l s ar e r equi r ed.

1. J wi l l cal l up K.
2. L wi l l cal l up M.
3. M wi l l cal l up N. Now M and N know LMN.
4. J , who knows J K wi l l cal l up M, who knows LMN.
5. K, who knows J K wi l l cal l up N, who knows LMN.
6. L wi l l cal l up t o anyone of f our .

=====================================


Yest er day i n a par t y, I asked Mr . Shah hi s bi r t hday. Wi t h a mi schi evous gl i nt i n hi s eyes
he r epl i ed. " The day bef or e yest er day I was 83 year s ol d and next year I wi l l be 86. "
Can you f i gur e out what i s t he Dat e of Bi r t h of Mr . Shah? Assume t hat t he cur r ent year i s
2000.

Answer

Mr . Shah' s dat e of bi r t h i s 31 December , 1915
Today i s 1 J anuar y, 2000. The day bef or e yest er day was 30 December , 1999 and Mr . Shah was
83 on t hat day. Today i . e. 1 J anuar y, 2000 - he i s 84. On 31 December 2000, he wi l l be 85
and next year i . e. 31 December , 2001 - he wi l l be 86. Hence, t he dat e of bi r t h i s 31
December , 1915.
Many peopl e do t hi nk of Leap year and dat e of bi r t h as 29t h Febr uar y as 2000 i s t he Leap
year and t her e i s di f f er ence of 3 year s i n Mr . Shah' s age. But t hat i s not t he answer .

==================================


I f you wer e t o di al any 7 di gi t s on a t el ephone i n r andomor der , what i s t he pr obabi l i t y
t hat you wi l l di al your own phone number ?
Assume t hat your t el ephone number i s 7- di gi t s.
Submi t t ed by : Al essandr o Tabor a

Answer

1 i n 10, 000, 000
Ther e ar e 10 di gi t s i . e. 0- 9. Fi r st di gi t can be di al ed i n 10 ways. Second di gi t can be
di al ed i n 10 ways. Thi r d di gi t can be di al ed i n 10 ways. And so on. . . . .
Thus, 7- di gi t can be di al ed i n 10*10*10*10*10*10*10 ( =10, 000, 000) ways. And, you have j ust
one t el ephone number . Hence, t he possi bi l i t y t hat you wi l l di al your own number i s 1 i n
10, 000, 000.
Not e t hat 0123456 may not be a val i d 7- di gi t t el ephone number . But whi l e di al i ng i n r andom
or der , t hat i s one of t he possi bl e 7- di gi t number whi ch you may di al .

===================================


An appl e vendor has 1000 appl es and 10 empt y boxes. He asks hi s son t o pl ace al l t he 1000
appl es i n al l t he 10 boxes i n such a manner t hat i f he asks f or any number of appl es f r om1
t o 1000, hi s son shoul d be abl e t o pi ck t hemi n t er ms of boxes.
How di d t he son pl ace al l t he appl es among t he 10 boxes, gi ven t hat any number of appl es
can be put i n one box.

Answer

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 489
Let ' s st ar t f r omscr at ch.
* The appl e vandor can ask f or onl y 1 appl e, so one box must cont ai n 1 appl e.
* He can ask f or 2 appl es, so one box must cont ai n 2 appl es.
He can ask f or 3 appl es, i n t hat case box one and box t wo wi l l add up t o 3.
* He can ask f or 4 appl es, so one box i . e. t hi r d box must cont ai n 4 appl es.
* Now usi ng box number one, t wo and t hr ee cont ai ni ng 1, 2 and 4 appl es r espect i vel y,
hi s son can gi ve upt o 7 appl es. Hence, f or t h box must cont ai n 8 appl es.
* Si mi l ar l y, usi ng f i r st f our boxes cont ai ni ng 1, 2, 4 and 8 appl es, hi s son can gi ve
upt o 15 appl es. Hence f i f t h box must cont ai n 16 appl es.
* You must have not i ced one t hi ng t i l l now t hat each box t i l l now cont ai ns power of 2
appl es. Hence t he answer i s 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 489. Thi s i s t r ue f or any
number of appl es, her e i n our case onl y upt o 1000.

====================================


A ser i es compr i si ng of al phabet s cont ai ns 13 l et t er s. The f i r st seven l et t er s i n t he gi ven
ser i es ar e A, E, F, H, I , L, M
Can you f i nd t he next t wo l et t er s?

Answer

The next l et t er s i n t he ser i es ar e N, O, R, S, U, X.
The pat t er n i s - l et t er s whose Engl i sh names ( Phonet i c Pr onunci at i ons) st ar t wi t h vowel s.

=================================


O U T
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
S T E M | D E M I S E
| D M O C
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
T U I S
S T E M
- - - - - - - - - -
Z Z Z E
Z U M M
- - - - - - - -
I S T


Answer

C=0, U=1, S=2, T=3, O=4, M=5, I =6, Z=7, E=8, D=9
I t i s obvi ous t hat U=1 ( as U*STEM=STEM) and C=0 ( as I - C=I ) .
S*O i s a si ngl e di gi t and al so S*T i s a si ngl e di gi t . Hence, t hei r val ues ( O, S, T) must be
2, 3 or 4 ( as t hey can not be 0 or 1 or gr eat er t han 4) .
Consi der , STEM*O=DMOC, wher e C=0. I t means t hat M must be 5. Now, i t s si mpl e. O=4, S=2,
T=3, E=8, Z=7, I =6 and D=9.
O U T 4 1 3
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
S T E M | D E M I S E 2 3 8 5 | 9 8 5 6 2 8
| D M O C | 9 5 4 0
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T U I S 3 1 6 2
S T E M 2 3 8 5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Z Z Z E 7 7 7 8
Z U M M 7 1 5 5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I S T 6 2 3
Al so, when ar r anged f r om0 t o 9, i t spel l s CUSTOMI ZED.

=========================================


Whi ch number i n t he ser i es does not f i t i n t he gi ven ser i es:
1 4 3 16 6 36 7 64 9 100

Answer

Thi s i s a ser i es wi t h odd posi t i ons cont ai ni ng posi t i on number wher eas even posi t i ons
cont ai ni ng squar e of t he posi t i on. i . e. even posi t i on number s ar e 4 16 36 64 100 and odd
posi t i on number s ar e 1 3 5 7 9
Hence, 6 does not f i t i n t he ser i es. I t shoul d be 5.

=========================================


Si t a says t o Gi t a, " I have 3 sons. They ar e al l l ess t han 10 year s i n age and al l ar e of
di f f er ent age. The pr oduct of t he ages of t he t wo younger br ot her s i s equal t o t he age of
t he el dest br ot her . Al so, t he sumof t hei r ages i s a Pr i me number . "
How ol d i s t he el dest son?

Answer

The el dest son i s 6 year s ol d.
Fi r st l i st out al l combi nat i ons of t hr ee number s such t hat al l of t hemar e l ess t han 10 and
pr oduct of f i r st t wo i s t hi r d number . Ther e ar e onl y 3 combi nat i on.
2 2 4
2 3 6
2 4 8
3 3 9
Al so, not e t hat age of t he younger br ot her can not be 1 year . As i n t hat case ot her t wo
wi l l be t wi ns and i t i s ment i oned i n t easer t hat " t he el dest br ot her " i . e. t her e i s onl y
one br ot her wi t h t he el dest age.
Now check f o t he second condi t i on i . e. t he sumof t hei r ages i s a Pr i me number .
2 + 2 + 4 = 8
2 + 3 + 6 = 11
2 + 4 + 8 = 14
3 + 3 + 9 = 15
11 i s t he Pr i me number . Hence, t he r equi r ed combi nat i on i s 2, 3 and 6. The el dest son i s 6
year s ol d.

==================================


Mar k at e hal f of a pi zza on Monday. He at e hal f of what was l ef t on Tuesday and so on. He
f ol l owed t hi s pat t er n f or one week.
How much of t he pi zza woul d he have eat en dur i ng t he week?
Submi t t ed by : Ashl ey Kr apf

Answer

Mar k woul d have at e 127/ 128 ( 99. 22%) of t he pi zza dur i ng t he week.
Mar k at e hal f t he pi zza on Monday. On Tuesday, he woul d have at e hal f of t he r emai ni ng
pi zza i . e. 1/ 4 of t he or i gi nal pi zza. Si mi l ar l y, he woul d have at e 1/ 8 of t he or i gi nal
pi zza on Wednesday and so on f or t he seven days.
Tot al pi zza Mar k at e dur i ng t he week i s
= 1/ 2 + 1/ 4 + 1/ 8 + 1/ 16 + 1/ 32 + 1/ 64 + 1/ 128
= 127/ 128
= 99. 22%of t he or i gi nal pi zza

================================


Fi nd t he next number i n t he ser i es 11 12 20 23 33 46 . . . . .

Answer

Al l t he number s gi ven ar e t he f i bonacci number s i n i ncr easi ng bases st ar t i ng 2 ! ! !
Ther ef or e,
11 = 3 base 2
12 = 5 base 3
20 = 8 base 4
23 = 13 base5 et c . . .

Answer = 67 whi ch i s 55 base 8
( Fi bonacci ser i es : 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89. . . . . wher e next number i s sumof t he
pr evi ous t o number s. )

===================================


S O M E
+ G O O D
- - - - - - - - - -
I D E A S

Answer

By j ust l ooki ng at t he t easer , one can guess t hat I must be 1.
Now, t ake t he r i ght si de of t he t easer i . e. E + D = S and t ake t he l ef t si de of t he t easer
i . e. S + G = D. Her e not e t hat S + G shoul d be gr eat er t han 11 as E or D can not be 0 ( E +
D = S) and I i s 1.
Wi t h t r i al and er r or , and al so by appl yi ng such const r ai nt s, we get
8 7 9 5
+ 4 7 7 3
- - - - - - - - - -
1 3 5 6 8

==============================


I bought a car wi t h a pecul i ar 5 di gi t number ed l i cence pl at e whi ch on r ever si ng coul d
st i l l be r ead. On r ever si ng val ue i s i ncr eased by 78633.
What s t he or i gi nal number i f al l di gi t s ar e di f f er ent ?

Answer

Onl y 0 1 6 8 and 9 can be r ead upsi de down. So on r ear r angi ng t hese di gi t s we get t he
answer as 10968.

================================


Repl ace each l et t er by a di gi t . Each l et t er must be r epr esent ed by t he same di gi t and no
begi nni ng l et t er of a wor d can be 0.
O N E
O N E
O N E
+ O N E
- - - - - - -
T E N
Answer

Use t r i al and er r or . 0 =1, N = 8 , E = 2, T = 7
1 8 2
1 8 2
1 8 2
+ 1 8 2
- - - - - -
7 2 8

===================================


Sl owRun Expr ess r uns bet ween Bangal or e and Mumbai , For t he up as wel l as t he down j our ney,
t he t r ai n l eaves t he st ar t i ng st at i on at 10: 00 PM ever yday and r eaches t he dest i nat i on at
11: 30 PM af t er t hr ee days.
Mr . Haani once t r avel l ed by Sl owRun Expr ess f r omMumbai t o Bangal or e. How many Sl owRun
Expr ess di d he cr oss dur i ng hi s j our ney?

Answer

Mr . Haani cr ossed 7 Sl owRun Expr esses dur i ng hi s j our ney.
Let ' s say t hat Mr . Haani t r avel l ed by Sl owRun Expr ess on Wednesday 10: 00PM f r omMumbai . The
f i r st t r ai n he woul d have cr ossed i s t he one schedul ed t o ar r i ve at Mumbai at 11: 30 PM t he
same day i . e. t he one t hat l ef t Bangal or e at 10: 00 PM on l ast Sunday.
Al so, he woul d have cr ossed t he l ast t r ai n j ust bef or e r eachi ng Bangal or e on Sat ur day.
Thus, Mr . Haani must have cr ossed 7 Sl owRun Expr esses dur i ng hi s j our ney.

===================================


Fi nd next number i n t he ser i es :
3, 7, 31, 211, ?

Answer

1831
Al l t he number s i n t he ser i es ar e Pr i me Number s. So t he next number wi l l al so be a pr i me
number .
Two consecut i ve number s i n t he ser i es
( A and B) Tot al Pr i me number s bewt ween A and B
( C) Pr i me number j ust bef or e B
( D) E = ( C + D)
3 and 7 1 5 6
7 and 31 6 29 35
31 and 211 35 199 234

* Number af t er 7 i s t he pr i me number on ski ppi ng 6 pr i me number s af t er 7 i . e. 31
* Number af t er 31 i s t he pr i me number on ski ppi ng 35 pr i me number s af t er 31 i . e. 211
* Hence, number af t er 211 i s t he pr i me number on ski ppi ng 234 pr i me number s af t er 211
i . e. 1831
The ot her possi bl e answer i s 1891.

Subt r act 1 f r omeach number i n t he gi ven ser i es: 2, 6, 30, 210
Fi r st number = 2*1 = 2
Second number = 2*3 = 6
Thi r d number = 6*5 = 30
Four t h number = 30*7 = 210
Fi f t h number = 210*9 = 1890
Si xt h number = 1890*11 = 20790

Thus, t he pat t er n i s : mul t i pl y pr evi ous number by next odd number and add one t o t he
mul t i pl i cat i on. Thus, t he ser i es i s 3, 7, 31, 211, 1891, 20791, . . .
Thanks t o N. Anand f or t hi s much mor e si mpl er answer .

====================================


The r at i o of Boys t o Gi r l s i s 6: 4. 60%of t he boys and 40%of t he gi r l s t ake l unch i n t he
cant een. What %of cl ass t akes l unch i n cant een?

Answer

Assume t her e ar e 6X boys and 4X Gi r l s
Tot al St udent s t aki ng l unch i n cant een
= ( 6X) ( 60/ 100) + ( 4X) ( 40/ 100)
= 36( X/ 10) + 16( X/ 10)
= 52( X/ 10)

Tot al st udent s ar e = 6X + 4X = 10X

%of cl ass t aki ng l unch i n cant een
= ( ( 52X/ 10) * 100 ) / 10X
= 52 %

===================================


Her e i n Engl and McDonal d' s has j ust l aunched a new adver t i si ng campai gn. The post er shows 8
McDonal d' s pr oduct s and under neat h cl ai ms t her e ar e 40312 combi nat i ons of t he above i t ems.
Gi ven t hat t he maxi mumnumber of i t ems al l owed i s 8, and you ar e al l owed t o have l ess t han
8 i t ems, and t hat t he or der of pur chase does not mat t er ( i . e. buyi ng a bur ger and f r i es i s
t he same as buyi ng f r i es and a bur ger )
How many possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e t her e? Ar e McDonal d' s cor r ect i n cl ai mi ng t her e ar e
40312 combi nat i ons?

Answer

Tot al possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e 12869.
I t i s gi ven t hat you can or der maxi mumof 8 i t ems and you ar e al l owed t o have l ess t han 8
i t ems. Al so, t he or der of pur chase does not mat t er . Let ' s cr eat e a t abl e f or or der i ng t ot al
N i t ems usi ng X pr oduct s.

I t ems
Or der ed
( N) Pr oduct s Used ( X)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 1 - - - - - - -
2 1 1 - - - - - -
3 1 2 1 - - - - -
4 1 3 3 1 - - - -
5 1 4 6 4 1 - - -
6 1 5 10 10 5 1 - -
7 1 6 15 20 15 6 1 -
8 1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1
Tot al ( T) 8 28 56 70 56 28 8 1
Ways t o choose
X pr oduct s f r om
8 pr oduct s ( W) 8C1 8C2 8C3 8C4 8C5 8C6 8C7 8C8
Tot al combi nat i ons
( T*W) 64 784 3136 4900 3136 784 64 1
Thus, t ot al possi bl e combi nat i ons ar e
= 64 + 784 + 3136 + 4900 + 3136 + 784 + 64 + 1
= 12869

=================================


I n a hot el , r ooms ar e number ed f r om101 t o 550. A r oomi s chosen at r andom. What i s t he
pr obabi l i t y t hat r oomnumber st ar t s wi t h 1, 2 or 3 and ends wi t h 4, 5 or 6?

Answer

Ther e ar e t ot al 450 r ooms.
Out of whi ch 299 r oomnumber st ar t s wi t h ei t her 1, 2 or 3. ( as r oomnumber 100 i s not
t her e) Now out of t hose 299 r ooms onl y 90 r oomnumber s end wi t h 4, 5 or 6
So t he pr obabi l i t y i s 90/ 450 i . e. 1/ 5 or 0. 20

=================================


I n t he t own cal l ed Al i baug, t he f ol l owi ng f act s ar e t r ue:
* No t wo i nhabi t ant s have exact l y t he same number of hai r s.
* No i nhabi t ant s has exact l y 2025 hai r s.
* Ther e ar e mor e i nhabi t ant s t han t her e ar e hai r s on t he head of any one i nhabi t ant s.
What i s t he l ar gest possi bl e number of t he i nhabi t ant s of Al i baug?

Answer

2025
I t i s gi ven t hat no i nhabi t ant s have exact l y 2025 hai r s. Hence t her e ar e 2025 i nhabi t ant s
wi t h 0 t o 2024 hai r s i n t he head.
Suppose t her e ar e mor e t han 2025 i nhabi t ant s. But t hese wi l l vi ol at e t he condi t i on t hat
" Ther e ar e mor e i nhabi t ant s t han t her e ar e hai r s on t he head of any one i nhabi t ant s. " As
f or any number mor e t han 2025, t her e wi l l be same number of i nhabi t ant s as t he maxi mum
number of hai r s on t he head of any i nhabi t ant .

=======================================


I n a spor t s cont est t her e wer e mmedal s awar ded on n successi ve days ( n > 1) .
1. On t he f i r st day 1 medal and 1/ 7 of t he r emai ni ng m- 1 medal s wer e awar ded.
2. On t he second day 2 medal s and 1/ 7 of t he now r emai ni ng medal s was awar ded; and so
on.
3. On t he nt h and l ast day, t he r emai ni ng n medal s wer e awar ded.
How many days di d t he cont est l ast , and how many medal s wer e awar ded al t oget her ?

Answer

Tot al 36 medal s wer e awar ded and t he cont est was f or 6 days.
On day 1: Medal s awar ded = ( 1 + 35/ 7) = 6 : Remai ni ng 30 medal s
On day 5: Medal s awar ded = ( 5 +7/ 7) = 6 : Remai ni ng 6 medal s
On day 6: Medal s awar ded 6

I got t hi s answer by wr i t i ng smal l pr ogr am. I f anyone know any ot her si mpl er met hod, do
submi t i t .

==================================


The secr et agent X emai l ed a code wor d t o hi s head of f i ce. They ar e " AI M DUE OAT TI E MOD" .
But f our of t hese f i ve wor ds ar e f ake and onl y one cont ai ns t he i nf or mat i on.
The agent X al so mai l ed a sent ence as a cl ue - i f I t el l you any one char act er of t he code
wor d, you woul d be abl e t o t el l t he number of vowel s i n t he code wor d.
Can you t el l whi ch i s t he code wor d?

Answer

The code wor d i s TI E.
I f you wer e t ol d any one char act er of MOD, t hen you woul d not be abl e t o det er mi ne whet her
t he number of vowel s ar e one or t wo. e. g. i f you wer e t ol d M, t her e ar e t wo wor ds wi t h M -
AI M wi t h 2 vowel s and MOD wi t h 1 vowel . So you woul d not be abl e t o say t he number of
vowel s. Same ar gument s can be gi ven f or char act er s O and D.
Hence, t he wor d wi t h any one of M, O or D i s not a code wor d i . e. AI M, DUE, OAT and MOD ar e
not t he code wor d. Thus, TI E i s t he code wor d.
T : t wo wor ds - TI E and OAT, bot h wi t h 2 vowel s
I : t wo wor ds - TI E and AI M, bot h wi t h 2 vowel s
E : t wo wor ds - TI E and DUE, bot h wi t h 2 vowel s.

==================================


Somebody mar ked t he si x f aces of a di e wi t h t he number s 1, 2 and 3 - each number t wi ce. The
di e was put on a t abl e. Four peopl e - Abu, Babu, Cal u and Dabu - sat ar ound t he t abl e so
t hat each one was abl e t o see onl y t hr ee si des of t he di e at a gl ance.
* Abu sees t he number 1 and t wo even number s.
* Babu and Cal u can see t hr ee di f f er ent number s each.
* Dabu sees number 2 t wi ce and he can' t r emember t he t hi r d number .
What number i s f ace down on t he t abl e?

Answer

Number 3 i s f ace down on t he t abl e.
I f Abu can see t wo even number s i . e. number 2 t wi ce, and i f Dabu can see number 2 t wi ce,
t hen number 2 must be f aci ng up.
Now ever yt hi ng el se i s si mpl e. ( see t he f ol l owi ng di agr am)
Dabu Abu
1
3 2 2
1
Cal u Babu
Thus, t he number hi dden f r omt he vi ew i s number 3 and hence t he answer .

========================================


A dr i nks machi ne of f er s t hr ee sel ect i ons - Tea, Cof f ee or Random( Ei t her t ea or Cof f ee) but
t he machi ne has been wi r ed up wr ongl y so t hat each but t on does not gi ve what i t cl ai ms.
I f each dr i nk cost s 50p, how much mi ni mummoney do you have t o put i nt o t he machi ne t o wor k
out whi ch but t on gi ves whi ch sel ect i on?

Answer

You have t o put j ust 50p.
Put 50p and push t he but t on f or Random. Ther e ar e onl y 2 possi bi l i t i es. I t wi l l gi ve ei t her
Tea or Cof f ee.
* I f i t gi ves Tea, t hen t he but t on named Randomi s f or Tea. The but t on named Cof f ee i s
f or Randomsel ect i on. And t he but t on named Tea i s f or Cof f ee.
* I f i t gi ves Cof f ee, t hen t he but t on named Randomi s f or Cof f ee. The but t on named Tea
i s f or Randomsel ect i on. And t he but t on named Cof f ee i s f or Tea.
Thus, you can make out whi ch but t on i s f or what by put t i ng j ust 50p and pr essi ng Random
sel ect i on f i r st .

===============================


Whi ch of t he f ol l owi ng number s i s t he odd one out , and why?
1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 13, 21
Not e t hat 2 i s not t he odd one.
Submi t t ed by : Br et t Hur r el l

Answer

The odd number i s 9.
I t i s a Fi bonacci Ser i es - a ser i es i n whi ch next number i s summat i on of pr evi ous 2
number s.

The f i r st t wo number s ar e 1 and 2.
Thi r d number i s = 1 + 2 = 3
Four t h number i s 3 + 5 = 8
Fi f t h number i s 5 + 8 = 13
Si xt h number i s 8 + 13 = 21
Hence 9 i s t he odd number I t shoul d 8.

===================================


A f ar mer bui l t a f ence ar ound hi s 25 cows i n a squar e r egi on. He bui l t i t i n such a way
t hat one can see 5 pol es f r omei t her of t he f our si des.
What ar e t he mi ni mumnumber of pol es t he f ar mer must have used?

Answer

16 pol es
X X X X X
X X
X X
X X
X X X X X
One pol e at each cor ner and t hr ee pol es al ong each si de so t hat one can al ways see 5 pol es
f r omei t her of t he f our si des. The cor ner pol e i s shar ed by t wo si des and hence r educi ng
t he number of pol es t o 16.

==============================


Mr . Wagl e goes t o wor k by a bus. One day he f al l s asl eep when t he bus st i l l has t wi ce as
f ar t o go as i t has al r eady gone.
Hal f way t hr ough t he t r i p he wakes up as t he bus bounces over some bad pot hol es. When he
f i nal l y f al l s asl eep agai n, t he bus st i l l has hal f t he di st ance t o go t hat i t has al r eady
t r avel l ed. For t unat el y, Mr . Wagl e wakes up at t he end of hi s t r i p.
What por t i on of t he t ot al t r i p di d Mr . Wagl e sl eep?

Answer

Mr . wagl e sl ept t hr ough hal f hi s t r i p.
Let ' s dr aw a t i mel i ne. Pi ct ur e t he bus r out e on a l i ne showen bel ow:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ________ - - - - - - - - ________________
St ar t 1/ 3 1/ 2 2/ 3 End
- - - - - shows t i me f or whi ch Mr . Wagl e was not sl eepi ng
_____ shows t i me f or whi ch Mr . Wagl e was sl eepi ng

When Mr . Wagl e f el l asl eep t he f i r st t i me, t he bus si l l had t wi ce as f ar t o go as i t had
al r eady gone, t hat mar ks t he f i r st t hi r d of hi s t r i p.
He wake up hal f way t hr ough t he t r i p i . e sl ept f r om1/ 3 mar k t o t he 1/ 2 mar k. He f el l sl eep
agai n when t he bus st i l l had hal f t he di st ance t o go t hat i t had al r eady t r avel ed i . e 2/ 3
mar k.
Addi ng up, al l sl eepi ng t i mes,
= ( 1/ 2 - 1/ 3) + ( 1 - 2/ 3)
= 1/ 6 + 1/ 3
= 1/ 2
Hence, Mr . wagl e sl ept t hr ough hal f hi s t r i p.

============================


I n a Road Race, one of t he t hr ee bi ker s was doi ng 15kml ess t han t he f i r st and 3kmmor e
t han t he t hi r d. He al so f i ni shed t he r ace 12 mi nut es af t er t he f i r st and 3 mi nut es bef or e
t he t hi r d.
Can you f i nd out t he speed of each bi ker , t he t i me t aken by each bi ker t o f i ni sh t he r ace
and t he l engt h of t he cour se?
Assume t hat t her e wer e no st ops i n t he r ace and al so t hey wer e dr i vi ng wi t h const ant speeds
t hr ough out t he r ace.

Answer

Let us assume t hat
Speed of Fi r st bi ker = V1 km/ mi n
Speed of Second bi ker = V2 km/ mi n
Speed of Thi r d bi ker = V3 km/ mi n
Tot al t i me t ake by f i r st bi ker = T1 mi n
Tot al di st ance = S km
Now as per t he dat a gi ven i n t he t easer , at a t i me T mi n
X1 = V1 * T - - - - > 1
X1 - 15 = V2 * T - - - - > 2
X1 - 18 = V3 * T - - - - > 3
At a Di st ance S Km.
S = V1 * T1 - - - - > 4
S = V2 * ( T1 + 12) - - - - > 5
S = V3 * ( T1 + 15) - - - - > 6

Thus t her e ar e 6 equat i ons and 7 unknown dat a t hat means i t has i nf i ni t e number of
sol ut i ons.
By sol vi ng above 6 equat i ons we get ,
Ti me t aken by f i r st bi ker , T1 = 60 Mi n.
Ti me t aken by Second bi ker , T2 = 72 Mi n.
Ti me t aken by f i r st bi ker , T3 = 75 Mi n.

Al so, we get
Speed of f i r st bi ker , V1 = 90/ T km/ mi n
Speed of second bi ker , V2 = ( 5/ 6) V1 = 75/ T km/ mi n
Speed of t hi r d bi ker , V3 = ( 4/ 5) V1 = 72/ T km/ mi n

Al so, t he l engt h of t he cour se, S = 5400/ T km
Thus, f or t he dat a gi ven, onl y t he t i me t aken by each bi ker can be f ound i . e. 60, 72 and 75
mi nut es. For ot her quant i t i es, one mor e i ndependent dat umi s r equi r ed i . e. ei t her T or V1
or V2 or V3
Thanks t o Theer t hamSr i ni vas f or t he answer ! ! !

==========================================


A gr oup of f r i ends went on a hol i day t o a hi l l st at i on. I t r ai ned f or 13 days. But when i t
r ai ned i n t he mor ni ng, t he af t er noon was l ovel y. And when i t r ai ned i n t he af t er noon, t he
day was pr eceded by cl ear mor ni ng.
Al t oget her t her e wer e 11 ver y ni ce mor ni ngs and 12 ver y ni ce af t er noons. How many days di d
t hei r hol i day l ast ?

Answer

The hol i day l ast f or 18 days.
Let ' s assume t he number of days as f ol l ows:
Rai n i n t he mor ni ng and l ovel y af t er noon = X days
Cl ear mor ni ng and r ai n i n t he af t er noon = Y days
No r ai n i n t he mor ni ng and i n t he af t er noon = Z days

Number of days wi t h r ai n = X + Y = 13 days
Number of days wi t h cl ear mor ni ngs = Y + Z = 11 days
Number of days wi t h cl ear af t er noons = X + Z = 12 days

Sol vi ng above 3 equat i ons, we get X = 7, Y = 6 and Z = 5

Hence, t ot al number of days on hol i day = 18 days

281 Puzzles Collected On 10 October 10, 2003

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