In a certain mythical community, Bears always lie and Packers always tell the truth. A stranger meets three natives And asks the first if he is a bear. The first native answers the question. The second native reports that the first native denied being a bear. Then the third native states that the first native really is a bear.
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1This has nothing to do with (geometry), so I'll edit the tags accordingly. – Brian Tung Aug 28 '15 at 05:09
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Well our geometry teacher introduced the class with this problem. Sorry I can't hashtag accordingly to pleasure :) – Jay Aug 28 '15 at 05:39
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@Brian: I have no idea what this has to do with logic either. – Asaf Karagila Aug 28 '15 at 06:39
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@AsafKaragila: OK. I put that there because they're often called Raymond Smullyan (style) logic puzzles. I'm fine with removing the tag, though. – Brian Tung Aug 28 '15 at 06:42
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I think the correct tag is Lake-Michigan-football-teams. – Gerry Myerson Aug 28 '15 at 07:25
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This is a weird outfit for a Raymond Smullyan puzzle to be wearing.
The first native, whether a Bear or a Packer, will invariably deny being a Bear. Thus, the second native is telling the truth and is a Packer. The third native's claim that the first native is a Bear could be the truth, in which case the first native is a Bear and the third is a Packer; or, it could be a lie, in which case the first native is a Packer and the third is a Bear.
In either case, there are two Packers and one Bear.
Brian Tung
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