This is a mathematical riddle that was posed to me 3 years ago. I thought it was quite ingenious so I'm going to post it here to get my few readers to think and, perhaps, leave a comment with a reasoned answer. Here it goes:
There's an island with an infinite number of people on it. These are, however, very special people; they are completely unable to communicate with each other in any sense (be it signs, sounds, writing...). The only person that can communicate with the inhabitants of the island is their president and they obey all his orders. Another important fact is that there are no mirrors on the island (and it's inhabitants cannot abandon it).
One day, the president of the island tells all its people that it's his command that all the blue-eyed ones must die and that the deaths must be performed at night. After making his will known, he disappears from the island never to return.
After 10 days, all the blue-eyed people from the island are dead. The question is, how many blue-eyed people were there to start with?
If any further explanation is needed, just ask!
Can people see anything at night, or is it pitch black? Can they "feel" other people at night? Do they live in houses, and can they be found at night?
ReplyDeleteI forgot to sign.
ReplyDelete-m
Ok, it seems some detail is needed. People kill themselves. You can think of it as if each person lives isolated from the rest and no one is allowed in at night. During the day they roam the streets and see each other.
ReplyDeleteSo, finally, the computer says yes, and I can say 10
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, a Little Britain fan... I wonder who it may be... any more answers?
ReplyDelete