1) Number square*
Find the missing number:
solution: Here)
Inspector Simon Mart and the stolen matchstick
‘I was on the island of Lotl Ire Esain in the Archipellago,’ Inspector Simon Mart wrote in his text editor, ‘where I encountered a strange case. The island is remarkable ny its population, which consists of two distinct groups: Liars, who will always Lie but are honest in the sense that they will never steal, and Thieves, who will often steal but who are absolutely honest in that they will always tell you the truth.’
He continued to write:
In one case brought to my attention, a person had been robbed of a box of burnt matchsticks. Now that may sound ridiculous, but the island is devoid of trees and all wood must be imported so it is considered a criminal offense.
Two suspects were brought in, and it had already been established that one of them had to be the criminal. The policeofficer who brought them in introduced them as Peter and Paul.
‘What the hack,’ I thought. ‘Would it have been the same two persons or is every Jack and Joe called Peter and Paul here?’ Anyway, hoping that the thief would simply asnwer truthfully, I asked Peter: ‘Dit you steal the matchstick?’
But Peter simply answered: Paul is a Liar.
Asking Paul the same question to Paul, Paul replied: ‘Peter is a thief’.
Who stole the matchstick?
If you wish you can check your solution.
What comes next?
What number comes next in the following sequence?
56789
51317
548
…
You can check your solution here
Inspector Smart on the Isle of Thieves and Liars
After his adventure on the island of Koaloao, Inspector Simon Mart traveled on to the second island in the Logico archipelago, Lotl Ire Esa.
The population of this island, he knew, was very peculiar; it consisted of two distinct groups, each with his own rigid disposition, and the inspector suspected it was a genetic mutation.
One group on this island was called Thieves: they had an uncontrollable tendency to steal, but they would always tell the truth. The other group was called Liars, they never stole anything but would always lie.
1) The scepter of dignity
After checking into his hotel, he had gone straight to the police headquarters in the capital. In the case before him, there were two suspects, Peter and Paul. The crime under investigation was the theft of the Scepter of Dignity, a rod made of used matchsticks, and dating back to 1997.
Peter: Paul is a Thief. But he did not steal the scepter.
Paul: Peter is a Thief. And Peter stole the scepter.
It was already certain that one of the two had stolen the scepter. Who is guilty?
If you wish you can check your solution.
The house with eight kids
There’s a house with 8 kids, who are all at home.
Amber is annotating a paper;
Betty is bathing;
Charles is cooking;
Dorothy is playing draughts;
Elly is eating;
Ferdinand is training his fish;
Gina is watching a fashion show on television;
What is Henry doing?
This puzzle is based on this one, but with a subtle twist.
You can check your solution here
Inspector Simon Mart and the camper at Trafalgar square
Inspector Simon Mart looked at the blank screen of the word processor in front of him. He really wanted to write down something about the interesting cases he had explored at the isle of KoaLoao. He was glad, of course, to be back in London, back in the familiar office, back between the familiar colleagues at Wales Yard, back in his own familiar office room with the familiar mug of the familiar undrinkable drab of coffee.
Just as a blink of inspiration on how to start popped up, a superintendant dropped in, wiping out any trace of inspiration about how to start.
‘Three suspects of the theft of the copper kettle of a camper on Trafalgar Square, Simon. Can you question them? Boring cases, of course, for you, after your holiday in Archipelagio.’
‘The only one who needs to be questioned is the camper,’ Simon replied dryly. ‘Why would any one in his right mind want to put up his tent there? Did he obstruct the traffic? And why would he have a copper kettle where every camper uses plastic stuff?’
‘I admit we made a Strategic Mistake in letting that guy go,’ the superintendant replied with a devilish smile, ‘He didnt seem to have obstructed the traffic – he put up his tent in the fountain. But the three suspects we rounded up are all we have. Oh, and we are sure one of them did it.’ Having said that, he showed in Mighty Mike, Ron Rubbish and Sluggy Sarah.
Inspector Simon asked them one simple question: ‘Who did it?’
Mighty Mike replied: Ron Rubbish did it.
Ron Rubbish answered: Sluggy Sarah took it.
Sluggy Sarah said: I’m innocent.
Now, assuming only the thief lied, who should the inspector keep in custody for further interrogation?
You can check your solution here
The coffee stain, the archeologist and the reverend
1) The coffee stain
**
When I visited an old friend of mine, with his laptop out of order, he had just completed a simple multiplication with pencil and paper. Unfortunately, I spilled some coffee over it. Can you pelase help him to complete the multiplication again?
2) The missing digits puzzle
**
In his “Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, tricks and conumdrums” American puzzle master Sam Loyd presented the following puzzle:
Sam Loyd tells a long story about Mormon rock, and in his reprint Martin Gardner skipps this part. I will not follow his example in order to preserve the history, but I do not want to offend anyone, and one should take notice that Sam Loyd was also a master in inventing stories, as can be illustrated with the example on the Swiss flag. Don’t take anything he tells seriously.
Once again discussion has been revived concerning the meaning of the hieroglyphic numbers engraved on Mormon Rock. Mormonism originated only so far back as 1830, so if these weather beaten figures have anything to do with the Latter Day Saints there should be thousands of persons qualified to tell all about them, unless, as some claim, they pertain to the hidden mysteries.
The Mormons migrated in 1838 From Kirtland, O., to Nauvoo, the “City of Beauty” in Illinois and to Salt Lake in 1848. When they left Nauvoo they boasted that their line of march would be twenty four miles long, and was te be headed by a printing press to issue the daily orders of the prophet. It was stated that they were divided up into numerous companies, each one headed by one of the prophet’s wives, and the mysterious fiugures on the Mormon Rock were supposed to give the number of pilgrims in each division.
The figures look like a sum in division engraved upon a sandstone rock. Most of the numbers are illegible, but as some are sharp and clear it is to be assumed that the others were erased maliciously or for a purpose. It is now claimed that either through accident or design the eight legible numbers furnish a key to the mystery, and that the whole is a sum in long division which tells just how many pilgrims marched with each division, and incidentally gave a clue to the number of the prophet’s patrimonial ventures.
It is a remarkable coincidence that the remaining numbers furnish a cluse which easily solves a most interesting historical puzzle, for if you write down the sum in long division, mixing stars with the legible figures as shown, you should speedily be able to guess the numbers which have been erased so that the sum will prove. It reaaly looks as if there should be scores of correct answers, and yet so far as I am aware, but one satisfactory restoration of the missing numbers has been suggested.
Just in case the illustration is not clear, here is a more abstract image of the problem:
3) Dudeney
**
In his “536 problems” British puzzle master Henry Dudeney presents the following problem:
He tells it was send to him by the reverend E.F.O. It is, he tells, the first example he has seen of one of those missing-figures puzzles.
You can find these and other puzzles like these in the second edition of my e-book with numbers puzzles.
Sojuko
A Sojuko can be considered as part of the Sudoku family in the sense that the 3×3 square contains each of the digits 1 to 9 exactly once. Some of the digits have been omitted, and the puzzle is to restore the missing digits. As clues four circles are given, holding the sum of the numbers in the squares around them. The solutipon techniques however are reminiscent of Kakuro.
Sojuko number 1
Sojuko number 2
>
I found them in “Terdege”, a puzzle add-on of the newspaper “Reformatorisch dagblad”.
Old year – New Year
It is always hard to come up with original puzzles, let alone with a puzzle that has to do with Christmas or new year. Any way: best wishes for 2015 to all of you!
Let’s have a simple problem from the orient. Did you notice that medieval sultans always seem to have an ample supply of beautiful daughters? And that they invariably have strange ways to choose their son-in-law?
This one is no exception. His kingdom had an extensive seashore, and he said to four young men interested in the hand of his daughter: Along the coastline I own many fishing boats. But there is something very peculiar with the number of fishing boats:
when the number is divided by 2, the remainder is 1,
when the number is divided by 3, the remainder is 2,
when the number is divided by 4, the remainder is 3,
when the number is divided by 6, the remainder is 5,
when the number is divided by 7, the remainder is 6
when the number is divided by 8, the remainder is 7
when the number is divided by 12, the remainder is 11
when the number is divided by 14, the remainder is 13
when the number is divided by 18, the remainder is 17
when the number is divided by 21, the remainder is 20
when the number is divided by 24, the remainder is 23
when the number is divided by 28, the remainder is 27
when the number is divided by 32, the remainder is 31
How many fishing boats are there in my kingdom?
You can check your solution here
Billy and the christmas party
Billy desparately wanted to go to the christmas party in the neighbouring village. All the pretty girls from all over the neighbourhood would be there and would be giving kisses to anyone under the mistletoe. And he sure would be there right under the mistletoe as often as he could!
Because he was late, he decided to take a shortcut through the old railway tunnel. It was a straight tunnel and he had an excellent view. When he was still 32 meters from the middle of the tunnel, he heard a train coming up from behind. It was still as far away from the entrance of the tunnel, as the tunnel was long. He immediately ran back and made it with just a meter to spare!
If he had ran to the exit ahead of him with the same speed, the train would have caught him 20 meters before the exit of the tunnel.
Somehow the train driver must not have seen him, maybe by the darkness in the tunnel, as it drove on at the same constant speed all the time.
How long is the tunnel?
What the trains speed was? Oh well, I’m sure little Billy told me, but you know, old age and memory and such – I have completely forgotten. Certainly you are so good you can do without?
Formal disclaimer: Never use an old railway tunnel. There are two possibilities: either the railtrack is in use or it is not. If the track is in use, you may be caught by a scheduled or an extra unscheduled train by surprise. If the track is no longer in use, the tunnel is not maintained and may be be liable to cave in.
You can check your solution here
You are welcome to remark on the puzzle: its wording, style, level of difficulty. I love to read your solution times. Please do not spoil the fun for others by listing the solution. Solutions will be posted after one or more weeks.
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