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        riddles >> what happened >> Three wishes
        
(Message started by: alien2 on Dec 23^rd, 2013, 6:14am)

Title: Three wishes
Post by alien2 on Dec 23^rd, 2013, 6:14am

A rainbow appears above a meadow and you spot a 1 ft tall leprechaun with a crown on his head. He starts to run and you run after him. You jump and catch him, nearly losing him in a forest. He says to you: "I am the king of all the leprechauns. Unlike with other captured leprechauns, you'll get wishes from me only if you pass a test.

You see, the forest has either 451 or 514 trees. If you tell me within 10 minutes and with certainty which number is correct, I will grant you three wishes."

Title: Re: Three wishes
Post by Grimbal on Dec 23^rd, 2013, 4:07pm

Do you have a fiddle?

Title: Re: Three wishes
Post by Grimbal on Dec 23^rd, 2013, 4:08pm

Or just cut one down. Then both numbers are incorrect.

Title: Re: Three wishes
Post by gotit on Dec 25^th, 2013, 11:42pm

[hide]How many guesses can you make? One or Two?[/hide]

Title: Re: Three wishes
Post by alien2 on Dec 26^th, 2013, 1:32am

on 12/23/13 at 16:07:09, Grimbal wrote:

Do you have a fiddle?

No.

on 12/25/13 at 23:42:46, gotit wrote:

[hide]How many guesses can you make? One or Two?[/hide]

One.

Title: Re: Three wishes
Post by Grimbal on Dec 26^th, 2013, 3:35am

How resistant are leprechauns to torture?

Or you could rent a wish from a fairy. Get a wish from the fairy, wish to know the correct number, give the answer, get the wishes from the leprechaun, return one to the fairy, give a second one as payment, and with the remaining wish, wish to have three fresh wishes.

Actually, 600 seconds should be enough to count ~500 trees, or at least make an estimate within 10% error.

Title: Re: Three wishes
Post by rloginunix on Dec 26^th, 2013, 9:20pm

Since the answer has to be logical and mathematical you observe that the prime factorization for 451 is 11x41 and for 514 it's 2x257. You use the allotted time to run 5 minutes one way and 5 minutes back to make your estimate. If it's an 11 by 41 formation you tell the leprechaun it's a 451-tree forest. Otherwise it's a 514-tree forest.