Five neighbors, the Ambroses, the Bufords, the Colemans, the Doyles, and the Ellisons, live either adjacent to or directly across the street from each other. Two of their houses are white, one is gray, one is green, and one is blue.

1. The two white houses are directly across the street from each other, at the west end of the street.
2. The Ambroses' house is not adjacent to either of the white houses.
3. The Bufords' house is on the same side of the street as the Ambroses' house.
4. The blue house is immediately to the east of the Bufords' house on the same side of the street.
5. The Colemans' house, which is not gray or white, is next door to the Ellisons' house, which is on the south side of the street.
6. The Doyles' house is directly across the street from the Colemans' house.

On which side of the street is each neighbor's house and what is its color?

What I believe is the intended solution:

North side of street, from west to east: Bufords (white), Doyle (blue), Ambrose (gray)

South side of street, from west to east: Ellison (white), Coleman (green), empty lot

 

Could this also be a solution...?

North side of street, from west to east: Ambrose (white), Buford (gray), Doyle (blue)

South side of street, from west to east: Ellison (white), empty lot, Coleman (green)

This satisfies conditions 1, 2 (The Ambroses are not adjacent to a white house, they're across from one and they live in the other!), 3, 4, 5 (the Colemans are next door to the Ellisons, there's just a big yard between them), and 6. 

 

Posted by tomarken on 2014-03-12 11:02:28