*the* smart question

[ZFR]

OK here is one which is real logic.

Two friends who havent seen each other for a very long time meet. The following conversation took place:

1: Do you have any children?
2: Yes three children.
1: How old are they.
2: Well their ages can be expressed as whole numbers (i.e no fractions). The product of their ages is 36, and the sum is same as the number of windows on that wall of that building. (points to a wall of a building which both can clearly see)
1: I still dont know how old are they.
2: The oldest has blue eyes.

Question:
How old are the children?

[mad=dog]

Hhhmmm. Again I feel something is left out.
Anyhow the first condition is satisfied by
1*2*18 = 36 (sum=21)
1*3*12 = 36 (sum=16)
1*4*9 = 36 (sum=14)
1*6*6 = 36 (sum=13) (no oldest)
2*2*9 = 36 (sum=13) (prime sum)
2*3*6 = 36 (sum=11) (prime sum)
3*3*4 = 36 (sum=10)
Assumption: The windows are ordered in rows.
I have marked the one with no oldest as it can be ignored. Also I have marked the ones with a prime number as sum as they cannot fullfill the assumption of windows in rows. The other three all fullfill the requirement and also the assumption. I cannot get any further.

[ 06-25-2005, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: mad=dog ]

[Bungleau]

You're close, Mad Dog. However, the fact that it can't be answered until the last fact about the oldest child is what tells you the answer. There's only one case where that becomes important.

And let me add that your prime number supposition assumes there's no door on that wall... there just might be.

[Seraph]

You need to consider the fact that he didn't know the ages of the children until "The oldest has blue eyes." clue. Assuming that the people talking know the exact count of the windows on the building, think about which of your answers need this clue in order to be solved.

[ 06-25-2005, 11:36 PM: Message edited by: Seraph ]

[mad=dog]

That would be 2 2 9, but it is silly really. What if they were 1 4 9, there were 14 windows and the oldest has blue eyes?

EDIT: What I basically would like is an indication that the other man understood their age only because he got the last information. I mistakenly took it as trivial information (it is presented as such) that could be used in place of the omitted number of windows. Still a neat riddle.

Each year the elven court plants out seedlings of the sacred tree. According to tradition the seedlings is planted in 5 rows as symbol of the five elven archheroes with 4 seedlings in each row symbolising the elements.
However this year the tree only produce 10 seedlings. The venerable elven king is distressed until he finally finds a way to fullfill the ceremony.
How did he plant the seedlings?

[ 06-25-2005, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: mad=dog ]

[Seraph]

What if they were 1 4 9, there were 14 windows and the oldest has blue eyes?

If there were 14 windoes then the first guy wouldn't be able to say "1: I still dont know how old are they." becuse there is only one set of numbers that adds to 14 and multiplies to 36.

[mad=dog]

Well maybe he's not strong in math... All I wanted was realisation that he WAS able to figure it out once the two with identical windows had been seperated. That would have been nice.
Perhaps it's more obvious to an Englishman. I happened to misinterpret this riddle leaving me absolutely no chance of solving it. Another option is that I am dumb as a brick.

[ZFR]

Actually, sometimes when they tell the riddle they do add a last line:
1: OK, now I can tell you the ages of the children.

But actually it can be ommitted. Thats why I wrote that both men can clearly see the wall, and I think fact theyre grown up assumes they can count and multiply up to 36.

Each year the elven court plants out seedlings of the sacred tree. According to tradition the seedlings is planted in 5 rows as symbol of the five elven archheroes with 4 seedlings in each row symbolising the elements. However this year the tree only produce 10 seedlings. The venerable elven king is distressed until he finally finds a way to fullfill the ceremony. How did he plant the seedlings?

thinking on how to solve this one. I hope it has a logical solution, and not one a la muslim prince or dwarfish elevator like "kill three of the elsvish archheroes, problem solved."

[mad=dog]

1) That is why I added the "Perhaps I am dumb as a brick" part. I am to blame myself, however I did misunderstand it and assumed he could not calculate the age. A very neat riddle, though I would add the last line myself just to make perfectly sure the problem is understood.

2) The riddle is a logic riddle. There is no omitted information critical to the solution. You simply have to arrange 10 seedlings so there are 5 rows with 4 each. Of course a seedling does not need to belong exclusively to one row - otherwise there is no way of solving it.

[Callum]

I still don't understand that children riddle? Is it just that 13 is the only number that has two sets of numbers that sum to it?