Some mental puzzles for those who like them. Professor Layton Puzzles.

[Locut0s]

The professor layton series is a series of puzzle games on the DS that I particularly enjoy. Each game is a collection of a couple hundred mind puzzles (math, logic, block, ordering/sorting , geometry, etc) loosely stitched together by a quaint narrative involving the professor and his sidekick(s) solving some grand mystery. The story line, characters, and narrative atmosphere in these games are surprisingly effective. Anyway I know ATOT likes their puzzles so I thought I'd post a few of the puzzles you find in these games. There are hundreds of puzzles across the games and no plot or story is involved here but still I suppose a spoiler warning is still in affect for those who don't want to see a single puzzle from these games.

I'm not going to post any of the sliding block, geometry or any puzzles involving pictures. So these are a bit skewed. Unfortunately the ones that I will be able to post are often the type I'm worst at. I prefer the visual ones. Most of these took a few tries to get cause I would either make an assumption they didn't make clear or I'd get 90% of it and miss something small.

Note that because of the different ways of interpreting some of these you might have more than one "right" answer, sadly they only accept one.

Anyway here's the first:

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The cleaning lady at a hotel is unfortunately forced to work with a small budget and has to use sub standard mops.

These poor-quality mops take two days to dry after they've been used, and the handle completely breaks after just three uses!

What is the minimum number of mops that you would need to clean every day for a 30-day month?

 

[IronWing]

Ten

 

[DominionSeraph]

One.

 

[IronWing]

One.

Doh. You're right.

 

[Locut0s]

Ten

That was fast! Did you Google the answer? :biggrin: If not what's the breakdown of the explanation.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I'm getting five, but I suck at puzzles. :hmm:

EDIT: nvm, misread the drying part.

Or rather, their idea of two days (1-2-3-1... differs from my idea of 48 hours, 1-2-1...)

 

[DominionSeraph]

Doh. You're right.

Neat, ain't it?

That was fast!

And it appears that once again I am smarter than the creator of a riddle.

A mop handle is not a necessary component of a mop. A handle merely makes mopping convenient for humans as it allows them to use the mop head from a standing position. But people have been cleaning on their hands and knees for ages, so "to clean" all you need is the one mop.

And of course you can use a wet mop.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Neat, ain't it?

And it appears that once again I am smarter than the creator of a riddle.

A mop handle is not a necessary component of a mop. A handle merely makes mopping convenient for humans as it allows them to use the mop head from a standing position. But people have been cleaning on their hands and knees for ages, so to clean all you need is the one mop.

And of course you can use a wet mop.

Technically she needs zero, then. :hmm:

 

[Locut0s]

Neat, ain't it?



And it appears that once again I am smarter than the creator of a riddle.

A mop handle is not a necessary component of a mop. A handle merely makes mopping convenient for humans as it allows them to use the mop head from a standing position. But people have been cleaning on their hands and knees for ages, so "to clean" all you need is the one mop.

And of course you can use a wet mop.

Some of the puzzles in these games are that annoying I'm afraid, that is they are tricks in disguise. But not this one.

 

[Farmer]

3 mops will last you exactly 9 days. 9 mops will then last for 27 days of the month in blocks of 9 days each, exactly. Add another mop for the last 3 days, assuming you intersperse its use on the 10th, 20th and 30th days of the month (or however else you like it).

So I agree with IronWing: 10 mops.

And it appears that once again I am smarter than the creator of a riddle.

Or you could also be dumber. That is possible as well.

 

[Locut0s]

3 mops will last you exactly 9 days. 9 mops will then last for the first 27 days of the month, exactly. Add another mop for the last 3 days.

10 mops.

Yeah that's it. IronWing got it first but didn't expand it.

 

[Locut0s]

Here is one with an answer like DominionSeraph's. I HATE this type. I just guessed till I got it. Basically giving away the answer here:

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A quiet road is lit by 10 street-lights. Deep in the dead of the night, the lights are blown by a power surge and all the lights are replaced.

Unfortunately, the new bulbs are poor quality--one breaks every two hours. Finding it hard to keep up, the unlucky repairman only manages to bring a replacement bulb every three hours.

How many bulbs will still be lit after 12 hours?

 

[IronWing]

It was simple. The statement about drying time is superfluous. The only statement that contributes is that the mops break after three uses and there are 30 uses to cover.

 

[DominionSeraph]

How many bulbs will still be lit after 12 hours?

Depends on the latitude and the time of year.

 

[Locut0s]

It was simple. The statement about drying time is superfluous. The only statement that contributes is that the mops break after three uses and there are 30 uses to cover.

Umm no. If it took 30 days to dry each mop then she would have needed to use 30 mops not 10.

 

[Farmer]

It was simple. The statement about drying time is superfluous.

Yes, but not trivially, nor is that correct if you generalize all the numbers to some random integers. Had the drying time been 30 days it does effect your answer. So while that assumption held here, it won't hold generically.

Locut0s:

One, to state the obvious. The repairman will always come back to a street full of broken bulbs. The one he replaces on his 4th trip is the one lit at 12hrs.

This one you can get pretty much instantly.

 

[Locut0s]

Depends on the latitude and the time of year.

Yeah smart ass. But you are right.

Thing I hate about these types of puzzles is you never know when one is a trick to be looked at in this way or to be taken literally. I'm the type who almost always takes it literally unless the trick seems really really obvious.

 

[Locut0s]

Yes, but not trivially. Had the drying time been 30 days it does effect your answer.

Locut0s:

One, to state the obvious. The repairman will always come back to a street full of broken bulbs. The one he replaces on his 4th trip is the one lit at 12hrs.

This one you can get pretty much instantly.

BTW you need to update your avatar now that you are a Platinum Member

 

[Locut0s]

Yes, but not trivially, nor is that correct if you generalize all the numbers to some random integers. Had the drying time been 30 days it does effect your answer. So while that assumption held here, it won't hold generically.

Locut0s:

One, to state the obvious. The repairman will always come back to a street full of broken bulbs. The one he replaces on his 4th trip is the one lit at 12hrs.

This one you can get pretty much instantly.

Actually it's a trick question. The answer is 0, it will be daylight out in 12 hours and none of the bulbs will be turned on then.

And I don't see why it would be One either. The question states that all the lights are replaced. So during hour (1) after the blackout ALL the bulbs are lit. But these are substandard bulbs and one breaks every 2 hours after this.

 

[IronWing]

Umm no. If it took 30 days to dry each mop then she would have needed to use 30 mops not 10.

No. It's a mop. The first thing one does when using a mop is to get it wet. Drying time has no bearing. If the question concerns dry mopping then it should say so.

 

[Farmer]

Actually it's a trick question. The answer is 0, it will be daylight out in 12 hours and none of the bulbs will be turned on them.

And I don't see why it would be One either. The question states that all the lights are replaced. So during hour (1) after the blackout ALL the bulbs are lit. But these are substandard bulbs and one breaks every 2 hours.

Oh, I was confused. I thought he replaced 1 bulb every time, which would make the problem simple. Nevermind.

But I guess you're right. For this type of question I try to discount "smartass" answers like "it'll be daylight" and "mops don't need to be dry to work." But maybe that's what they're looking for.

 

[Locut0s]

No. It's a mop. The first thing one does when using a mop is to get it wet. Drying time has no bearing. If the question concerns dry mopping then it should say so.

Well you have to assume the reason they tell you the 2 day drying time is cause the mop is unusable during this period. But yes there are a few trick puzzles in the game like the one I posted about the street lamps that force you to throw out any and all assumptions so it CAN be very annoying at times.

 

[Locut0s]

Oh, I was confused. I thought he replaced 1 bulb every time, which would make the problem simple. Nevermind.

But I guess you're right. For this type of question I try to discount "smartass" answers like "it'll be daylight" and "mops don't need to be dry to work." But maybe that's what they're looking for.

Yes that's why I hate it when you come across one of the trick ones. Still it's a very fun series of games.

 

[Farmer]

Professor Layton? For some reason I kept picturing Pheonix Wright Ace Attorney. Ultra Japanese.

 

[Locut0s]

Well I guess I can post some of the ones with images. Here's a much easier one.

These four photos were taken at the same location.

Three of these were shot by tourists who took turns taking pictures of each other. One of the photos was taken on a completely different day.

Which of the three photos were taken by the tourists who traveled together.