perplexus.info :: Liars and Knights : The Knavy

The Knavy (Posted on 2004-05-27)

  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.

Submitted by Captain Paradox

Rating: 2.8000 (10 votes)

Solution: (Hide)

Assume for a moment that CAPT. BAFFIN's third statement is false. If so, CAPT. HUDSON's first would be true, his third would be true, (he alternates truths and lies) and CAPT. BAFFIN's first would also be true. Therefore, the Levik is moored at docks two and four. This is a contradiction, so CAPT. BAFFIN's third statement is true. Reading the statements (now that we know which are lies and which are truths) the Antimony is moored at dock one, the Salamander is moored at dock two, the Revenge is moored at dock three, the Defiance is moored at dock four, and finally, your escape ship is moored at dock five. There are likely several paths of deduction, but all end up with this answer.

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)

Subject	Author	Date
Puzzle Answer	K Sengupta	2022-05-25 00:21:32
Sollution	Hattie	2004-11-24 19:16:54
Solution	Craig	2004-09-17 05:25:45
re(2): Solution	Rajal	2004-09-02 14:47:31
re: Solution	Steve	2004-09-02 12:26:46
re: Solution Explanation(spoiler)	Stephen Garside	2004-09-02 12:06:44
Solution	Rajal	2004-08-05 10:18:15
Solution Explanation(spoiler)	Scott	2004-07-13 04:39:19
Solution--not possible	Steve	2004-07-08 11:14:29
solution	vije	2004-07-02 14:33:17
re: Solution...	Grant	2004-07-02 12:34:26
Drummer's Solution	Grant	2004-07-02 12:30:06
My try at a solution..	Nora Fox	2004-06-15 17:02:03
Solution...	Erik	2004-06-01 22:46:42
Good Puzzle:>	Jeremy Trenary	2004-05-28 18:08:05
Solution?	Ben	2004-05-28 17:48:44
Ta-dah!	Carlos Da Peanut	2004-05-27 22:13:29
Solution	np_rt	2004-05-27 13:07:33
re(2): Solution	Shaun	2004-05-27 08:51:28
real solution	Danny	2004-05-27 08:39:54
re: Solution	Oskar	2004-05-27 08:12:20
Solution	Shaun	2004-05-27 07:44:51

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