[Guest]

You are traped in an island. You meet 3 peoples. By looking at their hair colors you are sure that they are from 3 different tribes. You know that in the island

Tribe 1: Always speaks truth. Tribe 2: Always speaks False. Tribe 3: speaks truth on sunday, monday, tuesday and wednesday, and speaks false on thrusday, friday and saturday.

But you don't know, who belongs to which tribe.

Now the question: Find out by asking 3 Yes-No questions to them, Who belongs to which tribe.

A hinderance is that: They say, "Sa" and "la" for Yes and No. But you don't know, either "Sa" means Yes or "la" means Yes.

A clear-cut answer is expected.

[Guest]

Can we assume that i know which day of the week it is?

[Guest]

Ok , I grant you that. I tell you that the day is Sunday. Now do you have the solution?.

if you have it, then Fine,Now do the actual problem: You don't know what the day is!!!.

Edited March 9, 2009 by the-genius

[Izzy]

If I ask one person a question, do the other tribes answer that question too without it taking away from my total amount of allotted questions?

[Guest]

first question

" are we on an island ?"

[Guest]

No, you can ask only one person at a time. Only the person whom you ask the question will give the answer, other will stay silent

[Guest]

now this explanation makes my solution off the track...

so, next calrification is, can we ask composite question, or do they have to straighforward only like "r u telling the truth"

[Guest]

now this explanation makes my solution off the track...

so, next calrification is, can we ask composite question, or do they have to straighforward only like "r u telling the truth"

Of course darling, But the question should demand Yes-No answer.

For example you can ask: " I will show you a red coin and ask you the color. I will show the same coin to you after three days. Will you answer same in both the cases?"

[Guest]

You are traped in an island. You meet 3 peoples. By looking at their hair colors you are sure that they are from 3 different tribes. You know that in the island

Tribe 1: Always speaks truth. Tribe 2: Always speaks False. Tribe 3: speaks truth on sunday, monday, tuesday and wednesday, and speaks false on thrusday, friday and saturday.

But you don't know, who belongs to which tribe.

Now the question: Find out by asking 3 Yes-No questions to them, Who belongs to which tribe.

A hinderance is that: They say, "Sa" and "la" for Yes and No. But you don't know, either "Sa" means Yes or "la" means Yes.

A clear-cut answer is expected.

Assuming the day is sunday:

ask two of them if they are from tribe one.

If two answer with "Sa" or "La", then it means yes, and they are from tribes 1 and 3. Then you one of the two wether the other is from tribe 1. Should the answer be the same as the previous two, then You were asking the tribe 3. If not, you asked the one from tribe 2.

If the answers are different, then you ask the third (a truth teller) whether the "Sa" means yes. For this one i just need to find out a way to distinguish between the two truthtellers.

Asumming the day is unknown:

Something to do with finding out what "sa" means. For the rest, no idea <_<

[Guest]

Assuming the day is sunday:

ask two of them if they are from tribe one.

If two answer with "Sa" or "La", then it means yes, and they are from tribes 1 and 3. Then you one of the two wether the other is from tribe 1. Should the answer be the same as the previous two, then You were asking the tribe 3. If not, you asked the one from tribe 2.

If the answers are different, then you ask the third (a truth teller) whether the "Sa" means yes. For this one i just need to find out a way to distinguish between the two truthtellers.

Asumming the day is unknown:

Something to do with finding out what "sa" means. For the rest, no idea <_<

Raoul got it wrong.

Assuming the day is Suday

Assuming "Sa" is Yes and "La" is no.

You ask two of them "Are you from tribe 1"

If the answers are "Sa" and "La"

Then Raoul said they are from tibe 1 and tribe 3.

But my friend, If the persons were from tribe 2 and tribe 3 then also they will say "Sa" (Yes) by the liar and "La"(No) by the tribe 3 in sunday.

Any way thanks for trying.

[Guest]

On Sunday:

Question to ask them "Is today Sunday"

Replies 1) Sa/la 2) la/Sa 3) la/Sa

On Tuesday:

Question to ask them "Is today Monday"

Replies 1) la/Sa 2) Sa/la 3) la/Sa

On Thursday:

Question to ask them "Is today Thursday"

Replies 1) Sa/la 2) la/Sa 3) Sa/la

[Guest]

Ok. How do you know who is who then.

but even then, you can ask only 3 questions in total, and just one day. and Morever you don't know what day is today.

[Guest]

do the three tribe's men know who is from which tribe?

[Guest]

one question per person and three in total?

[Guest]

Who is in Tribe 1?

Replies 1) Sa/la 2) Sa/la 3) la/Sa

Who is not in Tribe 1?

Replies 1) la/Sa 2) Sa/la 3) la/Sa

Who is in Tribe 3?

Replies 1) la/Sa 2) Sa/la 3) Sa/la

[Guest]

Assuming you know the day is Sunday...Ask man #1 "Would man number 2 tell me that you always lie". Remember the answer. The ask man number 2 the same question about man #3, and ask man #3 the same question about man #1.

Sense all of the questions except 1 have taken into account a liars answer and a truth tellers answer you should have gotten either Sa/Sa/La, or Sa/La/La. The answer that is different from the other two was asked to a truth teller about a truth teller and means no. The man that was not involved in that question but was with the other two is the liar.

Edit: This system could also be used with the question "Would he tell me that you are from tribe #1/2/3 if you wanted a more numerical answer.

Edited March 9, 2009 by MindPoison

[bonanova]

Tribe 1: Always speaks truth.

Tribe 2: Always speaks False.

Tribe 3: speaks truth on sunday, monday, tuesday and wednesday, and speaks false on thrusday, friday and saturday.

Find out by asking 3 Yes-No questions to them, Who belongs to which tribe.

They say, "Sa" and "la" for Yes and No.

But you don't know, either "Sa" means Yes or "la" means Yes.

Call the men A B and C. There are six possibilities.

Question numbers are in [brackets].

[1] Find out if A is from Tribe 1.

• Yes. [2] Find out if B is from Tribe 2. Yes: A1, B2, C3. No: A1, B3, C2.
  
  
  
• No. [2] Find out if B is from Tribe 1.
  • Yes: [3] find out if A is from Tribe 2. Yes: A2, B1, C3. No: A3, B1, C2.
    
  • No: [3] find out if B is from Tribe 2. Yes: A3, B2, C1. No: A2, B3, C1.
    
    
    
    

    Spoiler for How do we find out?:
    

    There are two uncertainties.
    
  • Each respondent, either by nature or because of what day it is, will tell the truth or will lie.
    
  • "Sa" means Yes or No.
    

  Eliminate both uncertainties by self-reference.

  Make Truth-telling self-referential:

  If I ask you [is X true?] will your answer be Yes? All responders would say Yes if X is true, No otherwise.

  But they don't say Yes or No, so ...

  Make Sa's meaning self-referential:

  If [True] will your answer be Sa? All responders will say Sa, regardless of Sa's meaning.

  If [False] will you answer be Sa? All responders will say La, regardless of La's meaning.

  So whoever we ask, if the answer is

  [*]Sa, it means what we asked is True;

  [*]La, it means what we asked is False.

  We never find out what Sa means. We don't need to.

  So here's the drill.

  Ask [anyone]:

  [1] If I were to ask you "Does A belong to Tribe 1?" would your answer be "Sa"?

  Reply:

  Sa -> A is from Tribe 1

  La -> A is not from Tribe 1.

  And so forth, following the sequence of questions given in first spoiler.

[Guest]

Call the men A B and C. There are six possibilities.

Question numbers are in [brackets].

[1] Find out if A is from Tribe 1.

• Yes. [2] Find out if B is from Tribe 2. Yes: A1, B2, C3. No: A1, B3, C2.
  
  
  
• No. [2] Find out if B is from Tribe 1.
  • Yes: [3] find out if A is from Tribe 2. Yes: A2, B1, C3. No: A3, B1, C2.
    
  • No: [3] find out if B is from Tribe 2. Yes: A3, B2, C1. No: A2, B3, C1.
    
    
    
    

    Spoiler for How do we find out?:
    

    There are two uncertainties.
    

    'bonanova' you have presented the solution in wonderfully clear terms, just as I had wanted. I can give no more clarification than bonanova has given.

    However I would like to say that by "It might take only 2 questions", it means only if you are lucky enough you will make it in just 2 questions, for all other cases, you are require to ask 3 questions

    So, I declare this Puzzle as SOLVED.

  • Each respondent, either by nature or because of what day it is, will tell the truth or will lie.
    
  • "Sa" means Yes or No.
    

  Eliminate both uncertainties by self-reference.

  Make Truth-telling self-referential:

  If I ask you [is X true?] will your answer be Yes? All responders would say Yes if X is true, No otherwise.

  But they don't say Yes or No, so ...

  Make Sa's meaning self-referential:

  If [True] will your answer be Sa? All responders will say Sa, regardless of Sa's meaning.

  If [False] will you answer be Sa? All responders will say La, regardless of La's meaning.

  So whoever we ask, if the answer is

  [*]Sa, it means what we asked is True;

  [*]La, it means what we asked is False.

  We never find out what Sa means. We don't need to.

  So here's the drill.

  Ask [anyone]:

  [1] If I were to ask you "Does A belong to Tribe 1?" would your answer be "Sa"?

  Reply:

  Sa -> A is from Tribe 1

  La -> A is not from Tribe 1.

  And so forth, following the sequence of questions given in first spoiler.

Edited March 9, 2009 by the-genius

[Guest]

can u ask all 3 of them the same question?

[Guest]

Who said no ? cddude20. And by the way the puzzle is already solved by bonanova