4 ms·
Unless I'm misunderstanding, I think problem 3 has many solutions. Spoilers: First note that, below 16, 11 is the only sum which explains S's first statement:
by unholiness 4y ago
Unless I'm misunderstanding, I think problem 3 has many solutions.
Spoilers:
First note that, below 16, 11 is the only sum which explains S's first statement: all possible pairs of numbers adding to 11 have non-unique products, accounting for S knowing P would not know the numbers.
Then note that for 18 (9x2), 24 (8x3), and 28 (7x4), all other factor pairs for that product add to a non-11 number below 16. Those non-11 sums are ruled out by S's first statement, so P will know the sum is 11 by her second statement.
Therefore (9,2), (8,3), and (7,4) all look like valid solutions, and it seems likely there are more.
What am I missing?
- unholiness 4y agoTo answer my own question: I'm missing the last statement, that S now also knows the solution. It does not follow trivially from the others like in the previous problem, for exactly the reasons I describe. S would not know the solution in this case because there are 3 possibilities.