Riddle Time

[Tigron-X]

So you're assuming they know the distribution of colors then? That wasn't mentioned in the op's caveat. If they know that, can see the others colors, and exclude all else (i.e. any form of communication), then they can know their color sometimes. I say exclude all else, because we assume they can't talk, show facial expressions, or use gestures of any kind. How else can they relay the information if COMMUNICATION isn't allowed? Anyways back to the original given info.

If he sees 2 black, he can conclude nothing

if he sees 1 black 1 white, he can conclude nothing

if he sees 2 white, he can conclude he is wearing a black hat

Yes it was. Otherwise, why did he unblindfold them? It is so that they can see each other's hats. Furthermore, if the rule is, "they are not allowed to communicate," then it's quite clear they're in the same room or the rule wouldn't be needed. And, no, they don't communicate to each other, but they make a response to the warden if they know the answer.

The person who sees 2 white hats is going to respond immediately. He has nothing to think about. So, if this doesn't happen, what does that mean?

I'm pretty much handing you the answer at this point.

[Twerp]

What does it matter if they overhear? They already knew the real color. If they can see the other hats on the table, and know the distribution of color, then it's simple.

prisoner A is unblindfolded, and sees prisoner B and C, let's say, with a black hat and a white hat respectively. Prisoner A knows there are 3 black hats and 2 white hats, and sees just 2 black hats on the table from which the warden grabbed it off. Prisoner A thus knows that he has the other white hat.

It matters since you can base your answer off the answer of others. Use their reactions like the wiki said.

[Fit of Rage]

I guess I didn't specify, but no, after randomly selecting the hats to place on the prisoners heads, the warden discards the other two and the prisoners do not have that information.

[Salubrious]

It's not a mistake. It brings in the assumption that if A had a black hat then those situations listed in bullet form would happen. But because those situations did not happen, A must not be wearing a black hat. In the wiki solution, all three prisoners have white hats because A has noticed that time has passed with B and C not making a move.

oh

[paradise!]

They don't see the missing hats. They do see each other in order to determine what color hat the other 2 are wearing.

3 black & 2 white = total 5 hats

If you see 2 white, what will be your reaction?

If you see 2 black, what will be your reaction?

If you see 1 white & 1 black, what will be your reaction?


There are 5 hats and you can quickly eliminate it to 4 hats.

So you're assuming they know the distribution of colors then? That wasn't mentioned in the op's caveat. If they know that, can see the others colors, and exclude all else (i.e. any form of communication), then they can know their color sometimes. I say exclude all else, because we assume they can't talk, show facial expressions, or use gestures of any kind. How else can they relay the information if COMMUNICATION isn't allowed? Anyways back to the original given info.

If he sees 2 black, he can conclude nothing

if he sees 1 black 1 white, he can conclude nothing

if he sees 2 white, he can conclude he is wearing a black hat

[Tigron-X]

What does it matter if they overhear? They already knew the real color. If they can see the other hats on the table, and know the distribution of color, then it's simple.

prisoner A is unblindfolded, and sees prisoner B and C, let's say, with a black hat and a white hat respectively. Prisoner A knows there are 3 black hats and 2 white hats, and sees just 2 black hats on the table from which the warden grabbed it off. Prisoner A thus knows that he has the other white hat.

They don't see the missing hats. They do see each other in order to determine what color hat the other 2 are wearing.

3 black & 2 white = total 5 hats

If you see 2 white, what will be your reaction?

If you see 2 black, what will be your reaction?

If you see 1 white & 1 black, what will be your reaction?


There are 5 hats and you can quickly eliminate it to 4 hats.

[paradise!]

It's actually a simple riddle. Just put yourself in their shoes and play it out in your head. There are gestures (or reactions) made, but not hand signals or anything like that. Using the process of elimination is key.

The prisoners are not allowed to communicate. No hand gestures, no facial expressions, no talking.

Do the prisoners tell the warden their hat color in the same room so they can overhear their guess?

What does it matter if they overhear? They already knew the real color. If they can see the other hats on the table, and know the distribution of color, then it's simple.

prisoner A is unblindfolded, and sees prisoner B and C, let's say, with a black hat and a white hat respectively. Prisoner A knows there are 3 black hats and 2 white hats, and sees just 2 black hats on the table from which the warden grabbed it off. Prisoner A thus knows that he has the other white hat.

[kthx]

So gay!

[Vatican Assassin]

I have one also.

Three guys decide to stay at a hotel while driving up to go camping somewhere, they pull in and go inside. The lady tells them the room is 30 dollars, so each person chips in 10 dollars for the room. Late that night the woman remembers there was a five dollar discount on the room and goes and gives each person 1 dollar back, and keeps two for herself because she couldn't split 5 dollars 3 ways evenly.

So if each person only paid 9 dollars after the 1 dollar discount, and the clerk kept two dollars, what happened to the last dollar?

9x3 = 27
+ 2 = 29.

This is not a riddle, this actually happened. kthx and 2 other dudes "lodged" in a cheap hotel while driving across the border to a state where sodomy is still legal (fukin regulations) and they spent the whole night wondering if they had been jacked by a dollar even though she even came back and gave them each 1 more in return.

next riddle.

[Vatican Assassin]

Three prisoners are sitting in jail over the winter holidays..

trick question there are no holidays in prison oohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snipptiy snap

[phata$$]

That wikipedia article has a mistake. The last line should be "B must not be wearing a black hat".

And even with that in mind, the solution doesn't even completely work. If all three prisoners happen to pick a white hat, then no one can guess anything. Wiki's solution banks on the first line, "assuming __ is wearing a black hat". TECHNICALLY since everyone wears a white hat, the person who guesses "white hat" from the first scenario would still be right in this scenario, but in this scenario, no one can be SURE that he wears the white hat, so no guessing would be done. Every prisoner sees 2 white hats and no one can guess if he himself wears white or black.

It's not a mistake. It brings in the assumption that if A had a black hat then those situations listed in bullet form would happen. But because those situations did not happen, A must not be wearing a black hat. In the wiki solution, all three prisoners have white hats because A has noticed that time has passed with B and C not making a move.

[Salubrious]

It's actually a logical problem.

If anyone is very inclined to know the answer, click this.

I was never able to get it so I had to look up the answer to prevent this riddle from destroying my brain.

That wikipedia article has a mistake. The last line should be "B must not be wearing a black hat".

And even with that in mind, the solution doesn't even completely work. If all three prisoners happen to pick a white hat, then no one can guess anything. Wiki's solution banks on the first line, "assuming __ is wearing a black hat". TECHNICALLY since everyone wears a white hat, the person who guesses "white hat" from the first scenario would still be right in this scenario, but in this scenario, no one can be SURE that he wears the white hat, so no guessing would be done. Every prisoner sees 2 white hats and no one can guess if he himself wears white or black.

[Xog]

this fucking riddle, i tell you what

Hank, I didn't know we were playing charades here.

[Fit of Rage]

Two people have it.

Cres clearly does not.

[Tigron-X]

It's actually a simple riddle. Just put yourself in their shoes and play it out in your head. There are gestures (or reactions) made, but not hand signals or anything like that. Using the process of elimination is key.