Someone who's good at logic puzzles, explain this to me!

[Lokire]

So I've got this "Mensa Puzzle Calender" with a different puzzle every day, and this one is tearing my mind apart. It seems simple and I got my answer, but the 'correct' answer on the back is different from mine and I swear they're wrong! Here it is:

_______________________________

In your top drawer are two pairs of gloves in white and three pairs in black - all the same because you like the style. How many gloves must you take out (without looking) to guarantee a matched pair?
________________________________

Keep in mind that they have to match color and be a Left / Right pair. Let me know what your answer is, and in a while I'll let you know mine and what the 'correct' answer is...

[Ericman197]

Originally Posted by Lokire

So I've got this "Mensa Puzzle Calender" with a different puzzle every day, and this one is tearing my mind apart. It seems simple and I got my answer, but the 'correct' answer on the back is different from mine and I swear they're wrong! Here it is:

_______________________________

In your top drawer are two pairs of gloves in white and three pairs in black - all the same because you like the style. How many gloves must you take out (without looking) to guarantee a matched pair?
________________________________

Keep in mind that they have to match color and be a Left / Right pair. Let me know what your answer is, and in a while I'll let you know mine and what the 'correct' answer is...

You need to take out at least 6 gloves to guarantee a matching pair:

black right
black right
black right
white left
white left
no choice but black left or white right, so on the sixth draw you win.

That is unless the gloves can be worn the wrong way, inside out or some other trick hurrrr

[Ericman197]

Originally Posted by Ericman197

You need to take out at least 6 gloves to guarantee a matching pair:

black right
black right
black right
white left
white left
no choice but black left or white right, so on the sixth draw you win.

That is unless the gloves can be worn the wrong way, inside out or some other trick hurrrr

This gentleman is 100% correct, now let's hear it

[Lokire]

I want to hear one more person's response first

[FL Knifemaker]

My Dad easily made the Mensa requirements and ALWAYS had those god damned logic puzzles, brain bending riddles and sequential number problems. As a teacher he could always spot students with an above average IQ and worked with them on his own time. Needless to say the Mensa IQ isn't automatically passed along My daughter is VERY good with the problem solving and has been since she was old enough to read. She started reading pretty much on her own and VERY early age. I wish my Dad was still around to work with her. He believed that with practice and coaching, one could improve their IQ scores and problem solving ability. Those damn problems make me feel like a total dumbass, which, well..............

[Atoz]

If they're like glove liners (can be worn on either hand), you only have to take out 3.

[Ericman197]

Originally Posted by Atoz

If they're like glove liners (can be worn on either hand), you only have to take out 3.

that's cheating and you and i both know it

[Lokire]

Originally Posted by Atoz

If they're like glove liners (can be worn on either hand), you only have to take out 3.

Yeah, there's no trick like that. Just a straight-forward question, as far as I can tell.

[need4mospd]

D - All of the above.

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by Lokire

Yeah, there's no trick like that. Just a straight-forward question, as far as I can tell.

I know... I was just kidding.

I'm guessing that since the most gloves that one can remove from the drawer without getting a matching pair is 5 (e.g. all left gloves), then the answer should be 6.

Did the calendar say 5?

[Lokire]

Ok, I quickly came up with the exact same answer and reasoning as Ericman. My answer was 6. It's pretty easy, right? Here's the official answer from the back of the calender question page:


Answer: 5 (you need to consider color and handedness)


What the hell?!?!?! I've tried thinking of any little trick or other solutions and there is no way I can come up with 5 as the answer. This is mensa, they're supposed to be smart, I don't get it

I realize that 5 could be the answer IF they had said "how many could you pull BEFORE getting a matched pair on the next pull", or something crafty like that, but that wasn't the wording. I thought the wording on the question was very clear.

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by Lokire

Ok, I quickly came up with the exact same answer and reasoning as Ericman. My answer was 6. It's pretty easy, right? Here's the official answer from the back of the calender question page:


Answer: 5 (you need to consider color and handedness)


What the hell?!?!?! I've tried thinking of any little trick or other solutions and there is no way I can come up with 5 as the answer. This is mensa, they're supposed to be smart, I don't get it

Maybe the question was originally worded to be either "how may gloves can you take out without getting a matching pair," or "how many gloves must you take out to guarantee that the next draw results in a matching pair;" and they reworded the question without changing the answer.

Also, consider that the printing company who made the calendars is probably not staffed with Mensans, and there could have been a printing error.

[craigb]

Having googled and found out what the "correct" answer is my take is that it comes down to your definition of "matched pair"

If "matched pair" means a same color pair of gloves you can wear (L+R) then I agree that the minimum number is 6

However if "matched pair" means a pair of identical gloves (same color, same handedness) then the minimum number is 5

You'd think folks writing a mensa puzzle could make it unambiguous

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by craigb

Having googled and found out what the "correct" answer is my take is that it comes down to your definition of "matched pair"

If "matched pair" means a same color pair of gloves you can wear (L+R) then I agree that the minimum number is 6

However if "matched pair" means a pair of identical gloves (same color, same handedness) then the minimum number is 5

You'd think folks writing a mensa puzzle could make it unambiguous

This is true. Maybe the "Mensa" part of the question is to see if you realize what a "matching pair" is.

[Lokire]

Originally Posted by craigb

Having googled and found out what the "correct" answer is my take is that it comes down to your definition of "matched pair"

If "matched pair" means a same color pair of gloves you can wear (L+R) then I agree that the minimum number is 6

However if "matched pair" means a pair of identical gloves (same color, same handedness) then the minimum number is 5

You'd think folks writing a mensa puzzle could make it unambiguous

Ah-ha! That must be it. That's a dumb trick though. When people refer to a 'pair' of gloves, they always mean left and right. Bah

[seventhson]

Originally Posted by Atoz

If they're like glove liners (can be worn on either hand), you only have to take out 3.

"Keep in mind that they have to match color and be a Left / Right pair."

That implies that each pair has a leftie and rightie...

[seventhson]

Originally Posted by Lokire

Ah-ha! That must be it. That's a dumb trick though. When people refer to a 'pair' of gloves, they always mean left and right. Bah

yea, that's bull**** on mensa's part.

[Lokire]

Originally Posted by seventhson

"Keep in mind that they have to match color and be a Left / Right pair."

That implies that each pair has a leftie and rightie...

Actually, I added that part. Since the answer said to keep "handedness" in mind. I just assumed that a pair meant left/right, just like a always does with gloves. Guess I was wrong

[doctorjazz]

I'm mesmerized by seventhson's avatar. Screw logic.

[hey]

1. Just look in and pick a matching pair the first time. Screw the not looking rule.