Famous Logic Puzzles & Quiz Questions
This is a difficult problem that requires multifaceted thinking in addition to logical thinking.
Because of the lack of information, it is easy to think that this is an impossible problem to solve, but it is a problem that can be solved with a firm grasp of the problem.
Ages of three children
At the reunion, Yukimura and Takeda met for the first time in 15 years and talked about themselves since then.
They talked about what they had been doing since then.
Yukimura: “How old are your three children?”
Takeda: “Yukimura-san was good at quizzes. Can you guess?”
Yukimura “Can you give me a hint?”
Takeda “Sure. First of all, if you multiply the ages of your three children, you get 72.
Yukimura “Yes. There are so many candidates, I don’t understand. Do you have any other hints?
Takeda “If you add the ages of the three children, it equals the number of women who participated today.
Yukimura “I see. I still need more clues.
Takeda “Then, the last clue. The oldest child is called Takumi.
Yukimura “You are very good at giving hints. I understand.
Now, can you answer the ages of the three children?
Problem Solving Tip 1
Consider the clue that the result of multiplying the ages of the three children is 72.
Candidates are as follows.
1 year old 1 year old 72 years old
1 year old 2 years old 36 years old
1 year old 3 years old 24 years old
1 year old 4 years old 18 years old
1 year old 6 years old 12 years old
1 year old 8 years old 9 years old
2 years old 2 years old 18 years old
2 years old 3 years old 12 years old
2 years old 4 years old 9 years old
2 years old 6 years old 6 years old
3 years old 3 years old 8 years old
3 years old 4 years old 6 years old
Problem Solving Tip 2
Now that we know the ages of the three children that could be the answer, let’s add up the ages of each.
1 year old 1 year old 72 years old Total 74 years old
1 year old 2 years old 36 years old Total 39 years old
1 year old 3 years old 24 years old Total 28 years old
1 year old 4 years old 18 years old Total 23 years old
1 year old 6 years old 12 years old Total 19 years old
1 year old 8 years old 9 years old Total 18 years old
2 years old 2 years old 18 years old Total 22 years old
2 years old 3 years old 12 years old Total 17 years old
2 years old 4 years old 9 years old Total 15 years old
2 years old 6 years old 6 years old Total 14 years old
3 years old 3 years old 8 years old Total 14 years old
3 years old 4 years old 6 years old Total 13 years old
Problem Solving Tip 3
There are no meaningless clues.
All three clues are used to solve the puzzle.
There are no meaningless clues.
All three clues are used to solve the puzzle.
‘If you add the ages of the three children, it equals the number of women who participated today.’
How you think about this clue is the key to solving this puzzle.
Problem Solving Tip 4
Think and look at it as if you were a character in the story.
You will surely find the answer.
Puzzle Explanation 1
Find the answer from the following 12 possible answers.
It is hard to imagine a child being 72 years old or 36 years old … but this is a logic puzzle, so let’s use logic, not common sense.
The biggest point is.
Takeda said, “If you add up the ages of the three children, it equals the number of women who participated today.
Takeda’s words.
We don’t know how many women attended the reunion, so what’s the point!
But think of it as if you were Yukimura.
Yukimura can count the number of women at the reunion.
So, Yukimura now knows the total age of the three children.
Think again here.
If you didn’t figure it out, you should be able to find the answer here.
Puzzle Explanation 2
Yukimura learned the total age of the children when he heard Takeda’s hint: “If you add the ages of the three children, you get the number of women who participated today.
Still, he said, “I need a hint,” meaning that he did not know at this point.
In other words, the total value was “14.
If it had been any other number, Yukimura would have known the answer at this point.
Therefore, he would have said, “I got it” at this point.
Puzzle Explanation 3
The two remaining possible answers are
2 years old 6 years old Total 14 years old
3 years old 3 years old 8 years old Total 14 years old
Final Clue
Takeda: “Now, here is the last clue. The name of the oldest child is “Takumi.”
So, instead of “2 years old, 6 years old, 6 years old”, we now have “3 years old, 3 years old, 8 years old”.
If it is “2, 6, and 6 years old”
Takeda “Then here is the last clue. The two older children are Takumi and Hiroko.”
Because they would have said the two names like this.
Puzzle Answers
The answer is …
3 years old 3 years old 8 years old.