Fill in the blanks in the sentences below so as to make it correct. You must use words for numbers and not numerals(e.g. use 'one' for
1 , 'two' for 2 etc.)
(a) The sentence you are reading has ....... a's, ......e's, ..... i's,
.......o's and ......u's.
(b) This sentence has .....a's, ....e's, ....i's, ......o's and ....u's.
When you really fet down to solve it surprisizingly you will find that between (a) and (b) only one is solvable; the other is not. Which one is it? Why is the other one not solvable?.
Originally posted by rspoddar82 Fill in the blanks in the sentences below so as to make it correct. You must use words for numbers and not numerals(e.g. use 'one' for
1 , 'two' for 2 etc.)
(a) The sentence you are reading has ....... a's, ......e's, ..... i's,
.......o's and ......u's.
(b) This sentence has .....a's, ....e's, ....i's, ......o's and ....u's.
Whe ...[text shortened]... b) only one is solvable; the other is not. Which one is it? Why is the other one not solvable?.
The sentence you are reading has FIVE a's, FIFTEEN e's, FOUR i's,
THREE o's and THREE u's.
On the other one, you keep changing the number of E's resp I's; change the one, then the other changes again.
Originally posted by piderman TheMaster's answer to (a) is all wrong. The only correct one is the number of o's.
actually the correct answer is:
" the sentence you are reading has five a's, thirteen e's , five i's,
three o's and two u's. "
That 's the correct answer solution for the poser (a).
The question remains - why is (b) unsolvable?
I am sorry to have congratulated you prematurely. Your answer is all wrong. The correct solution for (a) is : -
" The sentence you are reading has five a's, thirteen e's, five i's,
three o's and two u's. "
But the question remains - why is (b) unsolvable?
Originally posted by rspoddar82 I am sorry to have congratulated you prematurely. Your answer is all wrong. The correct solution for (a) is : -
" The sentence you are reading has five a's, thirteen e's, five i's,
three o's and two u's. "
But the question remains - why is (b) unsolvable?
why? Why do you assume a problem is unsolvable if you could not find its solution?
Even (b) is solvable!
Here is the solution.
" THIS SENTENCE HAS THREE A's, TEN E's, TWO I's, THREE O's
AND ONE U's. "
Originally posted by piderman That's why your answer to (b) is not correct, Ranjan: "... and one u's" is not a correct English sentence.
perhaps piderman has a point. Only this grammatic impropriety makes it unsolvable. Is this so? Otherwise the problem is solvable as far as numbers of the vowels in the sentence is concerned.
any takers for this argument? It is only a minor point- I think.am i wrong?
Originally posted by ranjan sinha perhaps piderman has a point. Only this grammatic impropriety makes it unsolvable. Is this so? Otherwise the problem is solvable as far as numbers of the vowels in the sentence is concerned.
any takers for this argument? It is only a minor point- I think.am i wrong?
puzzles of syntax cannot be treated or analysed like those of mathematics. Ranjan , that is why you are wrong.
Originally posted by sarathian Then what is the correct solution?
Puzzle (b) is unsolvable on account of the "quantum" character of the interplay of grammar and mathematics. The missing values to be filled in the blank make quantum jumps.
Originally posted by howzzat Puzzle (b) is unsolvable on account of the "quantum" character of the interplay of grammar and mathematics. The missing values to be filled in the blank make quantum jumps.
But these quantum jumps are not unpredictable. They follow a definite rule (albeit not mathematical, but the rules of syntax and grammar). Therefore this should be solvable.
Originally posted by ranjan sinha But these quantum jumps are not unpredictable. They follow a definite rule (albeit not mathematical, but the rules of syntax and grammar). Therefore this should be solvable.
No..it is not quantum jump ....The jump is deterministic.
Puzzle of syntax-why only one of the two puzzles i
20 May '04 10:28
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