THERE ARE THREE KINGS SITTING IN A CIRCLE FACING EACH OTHER. STANDING IS A QUEEN WITH A BOX WITH 3 SILVER CROWNS AND 2 GOLD CROWNS IN IT. THE KINGS ARE AWARE THE 3 SILVER CROWNS AND 2 GOLD CROWNS ARE IN THE BOX. THE QUEEN TELLS THE KINGS TO CLOSE THEIR EYES AND THEN SHE PLACES A SILVER CROWN ON EACH OF THEIR HEADS. SHE THEN TELLS THE KINGS TO OPEN THEIR EYES AND LOOK AT EACH OTHERS CROWNS BUT NOT AT THEIR OWN. THE QUEEN ASKED IF ANY OF THE KINGS CAN TELL WHAT KIND OF CROWN IS ON THEIR HEAD? A MINUTE GOES BY AND THEN FINALLY THE WISEST KING SAYS "I KNOW, MY CROWN IS SILVER." how did he know???:|
reddeb55 is pretty much correct...had the wisest king had a gold crown on his head the other two kings could of figured out theirs was silver. Since neither king said anything, the wisest king knew his couldn't be gold.
That's what I was trying to say, reddeb55. However, if the other two kings were wearing silver crowns, he would STILL not know the color of his own. Thus, I say the wisest one could still not have known the color of his. 🙂
yes knj777 the king CAN know what that his crown is NOT gold based on the given facts. the other two kings ARE wearing silver and for THAT reason he knows that he does not have on a GOLD crown. if he himself had on gold crown and king #2 looked at him (#1) wearing gold and #3 wearing silver then king #2 would know that he could not have on gold himself. because if king #2 had on a gold crown then king #3 would look at kings #1 and #2 and see two gold crowns and know that he could ONLY have on a silver crown! understand? trust me it is mathematical and logical - just hard to follow. hope this makes it clearer.
Thanks, recceb55. I figured that out after I saw the answer and related it to your previous post. Like I said, later, I KNEW I was missing SOMETHING. 🙂
