_|_
                / \
               /_ _\
               /   \
              /     \
             A       B
            /_________\
             /   C   D
            /         \
           / E   F     \
          /             \
         /___G_______H___\
                | |
                | |

A, B, C, D, E, F, G & H are presents on a Christmas tree in the same spatial position. Each is addressed from one of eight different people to one of the others and is wrapped in paper and ribbon of two different colours, including white. Can you tell from and to whom each parcel is addressed and work out the colour of its paper and decorative ribbon?

1) The parcel that Nicholas is giving to Duane is horizontally level with ( and further right than, as per the arrangement ) the one wrapped in red paper. The ribbon Nicholas has used is of the same colour as the paper on the parcel decorated with lilac ribbon.
2) The parcel tied with green ribbon is from the person to whom Lucy is giving something. The gift Lucy will receive is not from anyone to whom Caroline or Babs have addressed their parcels.
3) The parcel addressed to Margaret has green paper. It is directly above the one with silver ribbon; and its ribbon is of the same colour as the paper used to wrap parcel H.
4) Parcel E has red ribbon and is addressed to the person who is giving something to Pete.
5) Parcel G has silver paper and is adorned with ribbon of the same colour as the paper on Parcel A.
6) The parcel with lilac paper ( but not green ribbon ) is from Babs and has a ribbon of the same colour as the paper on the parcel that is horizontally level with one from Caroline.
7) The parcel with blue paper has ribbon of same colour as the paper on the parcel addressed to Quentin.
8) The parcel that Margaret has wrapped is for the person who is giving the parcel tied with silver ribbon. The parcel from Margaret is one level lower than the gift tied with pink ribbon and the paper Margaret has used is the same colour as the ribbon on present C.
9) The package tied with gold ribbon is in the same vertical line as (and is higher than) the one tied with blue ribbon, which is for Caroline ( but not from the person to whom Caroline has addressed her present ).

(In reply to Solution by Penny)

The upper limit of the number of permutations for the parameters in this puzzle is in the neighborhood of 2,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

As long as I was in the neighborhood, I decided to drop by a software program that would apply the logic as strenuously as possible to narrow down the permutations to a manageable number, and make sure there wasn't more than one solution. In that way it was a logical solution, not mere brute force. 

Doing it on paper, for me anyway, would have taken until Christmas.

My program ran in 1 hour 20 minutes.

 

 

Edited on September 14, 2006, 7:06 am

Posted by Penny on 2006-09-14 00:14:54