A challenge I intend to put somewhere in a story (possibly)

Well, it's a good thing I am an expert in programming, huh?

I am not a computer expert. I am only mildly good with math, and my brain is currently wired for calculus.

Just because it makes sense to you, does not mean it makes sense to me. If I say something does not make sense because I do not understand something, the response is to explain it differently. Not claim it makes perfect sense.

It's the equivalent of, in a googless setting, for me to say "I don't know what a word means", and for you to reply "well, it's an english word."

I still don't know what it means!

edited 4th Oct '11 9:17:49 PM by MrAHR

Okay, I'm sorry, but you should have said from the start that you didn't understand it.

Well, I'll explain it.

"(If I said ((portal 1 is the cool one) OR (This statement is false AND portal 2 is the cool one)) you'd say "true")OR(This statement is false AND portal 2 is the cool one)"

That means the following: "portal 1 is the cool one" is Statement A. "This statement is false AND portal 2 is the cool one" is Statement B.

"Statement A OR Statement B" is Statement C.

"If I said (Statement C), you'd say "true"" is Statement D.

"Statement D or Statement B" is the final Statement.

Did that make sense?

edited 4th Oct '11 9:24:12 PM by Teraus

2 things. First of all, are you *************************************** serious, Teraus?! All the stuff we tried using logic, and the answer is MATH?!

Second, the answer involving the bug still doesn't work, because using the answer that you describe, the robot now has to take into account its own tendency to bug out. It would not be able to definitively answer any statement that involved "In this situation you would tell me this," because it can't know for sure, because there's always a 50% chance that it will give a false answer. And even if the robot can perfectly predict a bug before it happens, the person asking the question can't. Therefor, it is impossible to trust this robot if it is bugged.

I know I posted (twice) earlier about a solution involving "In this situation you would tell me this," but between then and now I came to this realization.

If I said portal 1 is the cool one or this statement is false AND portal 2 is the cool one, you'd say true, or this statement is false AND portal 2 is the cool one.

?

You're all making me sad.

First of all, I posted an answer that didn't involve Math. Guess what? Math IS a logical language. It's not the only possible answer, but it works, and that was the only requirement.

Did you read the explanation? Can you explain why it doesn't work?

Yes. I thought it would be easier to understand with the parentheses.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:28:03 PM by Teraus

It makes no sense either way. It looks like complicated word gibberish.

Maybe someone else can explain it to me =_=.

Also, the math thing is called misleading the audience.

It used to happen a lot when I would play the "4 is the magic number" puzzle. Common courtesy dictates you tell them what type of puzzle it is, so that they're not going off in the wrong direction.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:29:28 PM by MrAHR

Why not? Did you actually try to understand it?

Oh, for GOD'S SAKE. It asked for a STATEMENT. That involves any kind of affirmation. Math is ONE possibility. It doesn't HAVE to involve Math.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:30:33 PM by Teraus

-_-

Teraus. Don't play semantics. You know for a fact that there's a difference between the commonly used phrase "logic" and the logic you are using. It's not a riddle. It's a math problem. You had us thinking that it merely involved coming up with the right question, when it was in fact a long list of variables, combined with multiple questions mixed into one.

Yes, I know that what you did IS logic, but you had led us to believe that it was a mere riddle.

And besides, how in the hell would that EVER fit into a story? Seriously.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:30:36 PM by Cakman

Teraus: Yes. Several times. I read all three versions multiple times, in an attempt to make sense of it.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:31:19 PM by MrAHR

I imagine this valid - it's out of the box thinking using math from numerically labeling the doors, yet it's good for getting the robot to give you a definitive answering. The 0/0 thing seems like a copout however - it's quite a stretch for an indeterminate.

Riddles? To witness the wit in the character's thought process. It's nothing that wouldn't appear in The Da Vinci Code or an Umberto Eco mystery.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:34:44 PM by QQQQQ

Wow, everyone is pissed off because the answer wasn't what they expected. I explained it, and it fits all the requirements.

What am I supposed to do, then?

Why do you care?

edited 4th Oct '11 9:32:45 PM by Teraus

...this is not a math problem.

I would be mildly annoyed if this was in a story, because I consider the 0/0 thing to be cheating. If I figured that out in that chamber, I wouldn't do it for fear of the robot spitting out some sort of error.

I posted another answer that didn't involve math. I wonder how many times I'll have to say that.

Why is it cheating?

Q: It's a valid way to solve the problem, but it's not one that was put on the table. Like I said, there is a puzzle called "4 is the magic number."

Someone gives you a number, any number.

3.

3 is 5, 5 is 4, 4 is the magic number.

9 is 4, 4 is the magic number.

2 is 3, 3 is 5, 5 is 4, 4 is the magic number.

8 is 5, 5 is 4, 4 is the magic number.

I can do that with any number.

If you didn't know any better, you might try and see a mathematical pattern. When in reality, the answer is based in english. If you didn't know that, you'd pretty much be stuck in a no win situation.

As a result, when the answer is revealed, you feel cheated.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:35:17 PM by MrAHR

The 0/0 thing would involve math. And yes, it would indeed be cheating.

I'm still confused s to how you would fit this in the context of a story without completely alienating 90% of your readers. It's like if I started writing a story, and then started going off about the highs and lows of the Silent Hill series. Everyone besides the few people who played the games would be completely uninterested.

^^^ Eh, personal preference. In my subjective opinion, I just think it's inelegant.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:35:35 PM by Chubert

"What am I supposed to do, then?"

Here's a suggestion: use a different riddle.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:37:44 PM by jagillette

It's supposed to be an affirmation. Anything that can be considered true or false.

Now, everybody HATES me just because I decided to use Math in my solution.

Dude. We never said we hate you. You might wanna take a break if you're leaping to such conclusions. Many are just displeased with the result to the problem.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:36:45 PM by MrAHR

Yeah, something else might be needed unless you're aiming a a niche audience. It'll be one thing if it involved a statement and some creativity. It's another if it required knowledge in math.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:37:33 PM by chihuahua0

this is still a logic problem.

i don't understand why everybody thinks that it involves math.

And if you have a math problem, and it ended up requiring artistic creativity, I am sure the people would be just as annoyed.

edited 4th Oct '11 9:38:04 PM by MrAHR

How do you expect me to feel? this is ridiculously frustrating.

A character is supposed to go through a series of difficult mental, physical and emotional trials. Is it seriously that hard to conceive? Do I have to give you the complete backstory of the character and the setting?

WHY DO YOU USE MATH, TERAUS. WE'RE ANGRY. WE'RE ALL ANGRY AT YOU. WHY DID YOU USE MATH.

Cakman is kidding.