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[Prof. Templeton]

There are three omniscient Gods sitting in a room. The God of the Honesants, the Swindlecants, and the Randomcants. The Gods will only answer Yes/No questions. The Honestants God always answers truthfully, the Swindlecants God always lies and the God of the Randomcants only seems to answer randomly, but in fact will answer with an affirmative only if, one and only one, of the other two Gods would answer with an affirmation, otherwise he will answer with a negative.

You have entered the room and your task is to determine which God is which with only three questions. Unfortunately you don’t know the language of the Gods, only that there are two distinctly different words for Yes and No.

Rules:

• The Gods will only answer Yes or No questions.
• The Gods will answer in a single word in their language either an affirmative or a negative.
• Each question must be addressed to a specific God. Asking one question of all three Gods is three questions.
• You may ask more than one question to a single God.
• You may chose your next question(s) based on previous answers.
• Because of possible loop conflicts, you may not ask any question about how the God of the Randomcants would answer.

The concept for this problem is not of my own making. I will give full credit to the author after an acceptable solution is found.

[Omni314]

There are three omniscient Gods sitting in a room. The God of the Honesants, the Swindlecants, and the Randomcants. The Gods will only answer Yes/No questions. The Honestants God always answers truthfully, the Swindlecants God always lies and the God of the Randomcants only seems to answer randomly, but in fact will answer with an affirmative only if, one and only one, of the other two Gods would answer with an affirmation, otherwise he will answer with a negative.

You have entered the room and your task is to determine which God is which with only three questions. Unfortunately you don’t know the language of the Gods, only that there are two distinctly different words for Yes and No.

Rules:

• The Gods will only answer Yes or No questions.
• The Gods will answer in a single word in their language either an affirmative or a negative.
• Each question must be addressed to a specific God. Asking one question of all three Gods is three questions.
• You may ask more than one question to a single God.
• You may chose your next question(s) based on previous answers.
• Because of possible loop conflicts, you may not ask any question about how the God of the Randomcants would answer.

The concept for this problem is not of my own making. I will give full credit to the author after an acceptable solution is found.

Q1: Are you a God? To any God
Y: truth or random
N: Lie

Q2: Same again to a different God
This way we definatly know which one the lieing god is

Q3: Does your name contain the letter O? To the final God
Y: Lie or truth
N: Random

I think this works

[Prof. Templeton]

Q1: Are you a God? To any God
Y: truth or random
N: Lie

Q2: Same again to a different God
This way we definatly know which one the lieing god is

Q3: Does your name contain the letter O? To the final God
Y: Lie or truth
N: Random

I think this works

Remember, you don't know what means "yes" and what means "no". After your second question you could have 2 answers that are the same or two that are different. If they are different you won't have learned anything since you don't know who answered "yes" and who answered "no".

Edit: Well, you will learn something, but not much (of the two Gods they could be H-S, S-H, R-S, S-R).

Edited by Prof. Templeton, 21 April 2009 - 05:22 PM.

[psycho]

Spoiler for What about...

Are you a Truth Teller?
-All would answer yes, but only ask it to one.

To the same god, Did you just answer Yes?
-Swindlecat would say N, the others would say yes. (Note, the answer will also tell you which of the sounds means Yes and No). If no, ask the same god, while pointing to another, is he/she a honestant? If the answer is Yes you know all three.
If the god said yes to the question "Did you just answer Yes?", then it would either be an honestant or a randomcant. You then ask if he is a roandomcant. If the answer is no, he is a honestant. If it is yes, he is a randomcant, as a swindlecant would have also answered yes, forcing him to answer yes.

[Prof. Templeton]

Spoiler for What about...

Are you a Truth Teller?
-All would answer yes, but only ask it to one.

Spoiler for To this question:

H would truthfully answer "Yes"
S would lie and answer "Yes"
but since both H and S would give affirmative answers, R would answer "No".
Then for the second question, "Did you just answer Yes?" R would have to determine what H and S would do in his situation. H would say "No", S would say "Yes", so R would also say "Yes"

[815]

1. Ask one god if they have a H in their name

2. Ask another god if they have a H in their name

3. Ask one of the gods that you should know by now isn't Randomcants if 2 + 2 = 4

[psycho]

Spoiler for To this question:

H would truthfully answer "Yes"
S would lie and answer "Yes"
but since both H and S would give affirmative answers, R would answer "No".
Then for the second question, "Did you just answer Yes?" R would have to determine what H and S would do in his situation. H would say "No", S would say "Yes", so R would also say "Yes"

I missed the one and only one part

[Prof. Templeton]

1. Ask one god if they have a H in their name

2. Ask another god if they have a H in their name

3. Ask one of the gods that you should know by now isn't Randomcants if 2 + 2 = 4

Spoiler for You won't know R after 2 questions

1. Ask one god if they have a H in their name. 2. Then ask another.
H would say "Yes"
S would say "Yes"
R would say "No"

You could have gotten a "Yes" first and a "No" second or a "No" first and a "Yes" second, but you don't know which is which yet. So your third question could be answered "Yes" or "No" and you wouldn't be able to determine who is who or even what "Yes and "No" really are.

[Prof. Templeton]

I missed the one and only one part

That is what makes it hard.

[Judix]

Spoiler for possible solution?

Ask one of the gods:
-are you a mortal? and subsequently ask the same god:
-did you just answer with a negative?

If H: will answer N, Y
If S: will answer Y, Y
If R: will answer Y, N

Now you know what "yes" and "no" are, and you know what one of the gods is.
Next, if the confirmed god is H, point to another of the gods and ask:
-Is he a S? If Y, that god is a S, and the remaining one is a R. If N, that god is a R, and the remaining one is a S.
OR, if the confirmed god is a S, ask someone else:
-are you R? If N, that god is H, and the other one is R. If Y, that god is R, and the other one is H.
OR, if the confirmed god is R, ask someone else:
-are you R? If Y, that god is S, and the other god is H. If N, that god is H, and the other god is S.

Sorry for making it so long! It is probably overcomplicated.