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Colored Duct Tapes : Hostage Terror


TimeSpaceLightForce
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Seven International Hostages are lined up in a row .Some are standing or sitting ,
facing backward or forward.All were blindfolded with different colored duct tapes
and ordered not to move. None has any information about the other hostages.
The terrorist leader announced to the nationals before him on the speakers that..
they shall all be released if they all can guess their blindfold's color correctly
which are in the order as ff : Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet White
Chi has 2 hostages facing backward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right.
Jap has 2 hostages facing forward on his left, 3 standing up on his left
Fra has 1 hostage facing backward on his right, 3 standing up on his left.
Rus has 3 hostages facing backward on his left, 2 sitting down on his left.
Eng has 2 hostages facing forward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right.
Ger has 2 hostages facing forward on his left, 1 standing up on his right.
Spa has 2 hostages facing backward on his left, 2 standing up on his left
In 60 seconds 1 hostage should raise both his tied hands then will be pulled
behind the row and will be shot in the head right on the spot in case he fails
to shout the correct color of his blindfold .The other nationals will share the
same fate. If he is right, all the others should not fail or else everyone is going
to die. If none of them will guess in a minute all will remain hostages..
Who would first raise his hands?
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Seven International Hostages are lined up in a row .Some are standing or sitting ,
facing backward or forward.All were blindfolded with different colored duct tapes
and ordered not to move. None has any information about the other hostages.
The terrorist leader announced to the nationals before him on the speakers that..
they shall all be released if they all can guess their blindfold's color correctly
which are in the order as ff : Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet White
Chi has 2 hostages facing backward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right.
Jap has 2 hostages facing forward on his left, 3 standing up on his left
Fra has 1 hostage facing backward on his right, 3 standing up on his left.
Rus has 3 hostages facing backward on his left, 2 sitting down on his left.
Eng has 2 hostages facing forward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right.
Ger has 2 hostages facing forward on his left, 1 standing up on his right.
Spa has 2 hostages facing backward on his left, 2 standing up on his left
In 60 seconds 1 hostage should raise both his tied hands then will be pulled
behind the row and will be shot in the head right on the spot in case he fails
to shout the correct color of his blindfold .The other nationals will share the
same fate. If he is right, all the others should not fail or else everyone is going
to die. If none of them will guess in a minute all will remain hostages..
Who would first raise his hands?

The two possible arrangements are

Jap, Chi, Rus, Spa, Ger, Fra, Eng

Eng, Fra, Ger, Spa, Rus, Chi, Jap

Since the hats are displayed in the following order

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet White

If 'getting pulled behind the row' (see colored part above) means being pulled backwards in the prisoner's orientation, then the prospect of survival for all the prisoners is 1/2. Anyone besides Spa can raise his hand and guess one of his two possible color. For instance, Jap is either Red (beginning of the line) or White (last in line). If his guess is correct, everyone else should be able to guess their color. If his guess is *incorrect*, then everyone else should also be able to guess their color, although it might not do them much good at that point according to the OP.

If 'getting pulled behind the row' means getting pulled behind the row from an observer's perspective, then the prisoners can use that information to improve their survival odds. In that case, Spa should call Green. Once he is pulled 'behind' the row, the other prisoners would know which of the two arrangements they are in.

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Glad I missed that tour bus! I'm vague on what the prisoners know to begin with. I believe the following is true, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's what WE know:

(1) the prisoners are occupying 7 positions in a linear formation (although each is individually facing in any direction, given in the OP)

(2) each prisoner is wearing a different colored blindfold

(3) reading from one end of the line to the other, the colors are ROYGBVW

What do the prisoners know?

(1) Do they know they are in a line?

(2) Do they know where they are in the line?

(3) Do they know the orientations of their immediate neighbors?

(4) Do they know the colors of their neighbors' blindfolds

(5) Do they know which end of the line wears R?

I'm presuming that 3,4, and 5 are No.

What about 1 and 2?

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There's a lot I don't understand, just in terms of terminology.

As an example, OP says that "Chi has 2 hostages facing backward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right. "

Am I to believe that there are EXACTLY 2 hostages facing backward on his right, and any other hostages on his right are facing forward?

Or that there are AT LEAST 2 hostages on his right facing backward?

I'm presuming that this gives me no information about how many backwards-facers are to Chi's Left.

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Glad I missed that tour bus! I'm vague on what the prisoners know to begin with. I believe the following is true, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's what WE know:

(1) the prisoners are occupying 7 positions in a linear formation (although each is individually facing in any direction, given in the OP)

(2) each prisoner is wearing a different colored blindfold - 4 inches duct tapes

(3) reading from one end of the line to the other, the colors are ROYGBVW - left to right when looking at the row

What do the prisoners know? or heard

(1) Do they know they are in a line? - they did

(2) Do they know where they are in the line? -they figured it out

(3) Do they know the orientations of their immediate neighbors?- they did

(4) Do they know the colors of their neighbors' blindfolds? - no unless informed

(5) Do they know which end of the line wears R? - no unless unless informed

I'm presuming that 3,4, and 5 are No.

What about 1 and 2?

Edited by TimeSpaceLightForce
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There's a lot I don't understand, just in terms of terminology.

As an example, OP says that "Chi has 2 hostages facing backward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right. "

Am I to believe that there are EXACTLY 2 hostages facing backward on his right, and any other hostages on his right are facing forward? yes 2 exactly or maximum ,yes facing forward if there is/are any

Or that there are AT LEAST 2 hostages on his right facing backward? no just 2

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I gather there is an observer who is looking at the row, and sees it from Observer's Left to Right. And, from what you said, the person on Observer's far left is wearing Red.

(1) When you say that "Chi has two facing backward on his right", does "backward" mean "facing away from the observer", or does it mean, "facing the opposite of Chi"?

(2) In the same case, does "on his right" mean "to the same side of the line as Chi's right hand" , or does it mean "to the same side of the line as Observer's right hand" [ I assume it means Chi's right hand )

(3) Do the captives know that the person on Observer's far left is wearing Red?

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I gather there is an observer who is looking at the row, and sees it from Observer's Left to Right. And, from what you said, the person on Observer's far left is wearing Red.

(1) When you say that "Chi has two facing backward on his right", does "backward" mean "facing away from the observer", or does it mean, "facing the opposite of Chi"?Chi's "his left/right" refer to Chi orientation

(2) In the same case, does "on his right" mean "to the same side of the line as Chi's right hand" , or does it mean "to the same side of the line as Observer's right hand" [ I assume it means Chi's right hand )

or right side

(3) Do the captives know that the person on Observer's far left is wearing Red? Yes, like reading, left to right :ROYGBVW

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You said a people to a hostage's left/right are in a hostage's orientation. Is it also true that "facing forward/backward" is in the hostage's orientation?

Yes captainEd, sorry for that, I should have use "her" for all hostages (beauty pageant contestants) to differ from observer

Thank you in advance. Nice tough problem!

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Seven International Hostages are lined up in a row .Some are standing or sitting ,
facing backward or forward.All were blindfolded with different colored duct tapes
and ordered not to move. None has any information about the other hostages.
The terrorist leader announced to the nationals before him on the speakers that..
they shall all be released if they all can guess their blindfold's color correctly
which are in the order as ff : Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet White
Chi has 2 hostages facing backward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right.
Jap has 2 hostages facing forward on his left, 3 standing up on his left
Fra has 1 hostage facing backward on his right, 3 standing up on his left.
Rus has 3 hostages facing backward on his left, 2 sitting down on his left.
Eng has 2 hostages facing forward on his right, 3 sitting down on his right.
Ger has 2 hostages facing forward on his left, 1 standing up on his right.
Spa has 2 hostages facing backward on his left, 2 standing up on his left
In 60 seconds 1 hostage should raise both his tied hands then will be pulled
behind the row and will be shot in the head right on the spot in case he fails
to shout the correct color of his blindfold .The other nationals will share the
same fate. If he is right, all the others should not fail or else everyone is going
to die. If none of them will guess in a minute all will remain hostages..
Who would first raise his hands?

The two possible arrangements are

Jap, Chi, Rus, Spa, Ger, Fra, Eng

Eng, Fra, Ger, Spa, Rus, Chi, Jap

Since the blindfolds are displayed in the following order

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet White

If 'getting pulled behind the row' (see colored part above) means being pulled backwards in the prisoner's orientation, then the prospect of survival for all the prisoners is 1/2. Anyone besides Spa can raise his hand and guess one of his two possible color. For instance, Jap is either Red (beginning of the line) or White (last in line). If his guess is correct, everyone else should be able to guess their color. If his guess is *incorrect*, then everyone else should also be able to guess their color, although it might not do them much good at that point according to the OP.

If 'getting pulled behind the row' means getting pulled behind the row from an observer's perspective, then the prisoners can use that information to improve their survival odds. In that case, Spa should call Green. Once he is pulled 'behind' the row, the other prisoners would know which of the two arrangements they are in.

done!

The front and back of the row is of announcer's reference

Relative positions/directions of the hostages

> Eng >

< Fra <

< Ger <

< Spa <

> Rus >

< Chi <

> Jap >

All the nationals know this. And BUSHINDO know this.

They are just waiting for Spa shout Green to obtain the reference.

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