You are a spy in a hostile country, trying to escape the local authorities. As a disguise, you join the local Knavy, which is like a navy, but is made up entirely of knaves (people who alternate telling the truth and lying). You get word that a ship, the HMS Levik is docked in the harbor to help you escape. The problem is, there are five ships in port (at docks one through five) and none of them are marked with a name.
  You manage to talk with two old sea captains in the Knavy about which ship is which. They talk some, but you don't know if their first statement is a truth or a falsehood.
  Based on their curious descriptions, can you figure out which ship is the HMS Levik?

CAPT. HUDSON:
1. The Salamander is not moored next to the Revenge.
2. The Antimony is moored at dock one.
3. The Levik is moored at dock two.
4. The Defiance is moored next to the Levik

CAPT. BAFFIN
1. The Defiance is not moored at dock two.
2. The Levik is moored at dock four.
3. The Salamander is moored next to the Revenge.
4. The Antimony is not moored next to the Salamander.

It is not possible to determine the location of the Levik.  There are 4 possibilities: Hudson's first statement is a lie and Baffin's first is true, Hudson's first is True and Baffin's is a lie, both first statements are true, or both are lies.

Hudson's first statement is false.  If it were true, there is no logical way to determine which pier the Levik is on.

If Hudson's first statement is a lie (which it is), and Baffin's first is true, then you can logically determine that the Levik is on Pier 5.  If both first statements are lies, you can logically determine that the Levik is on Pier 4.

Summary, Hudson's first is a lie, no way to tell if Baffin's first is a lie or truth, and neither way creates an unlogical situation.

Answer is NO

Posted by Steve on 2004-07-08 11:14:29