Challenging Question?

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sheriefhalawa asked:

Me and my friend have reserved rooms in hotels. I want to handle him golden statue. Both me and him have 1 suit case, 1 lock and 1 key each (each one’s key is for his own lock). We are not allowed to leave our rooms but we are allowed to send each other things via the room handlers, which are not trust-worthy. If they see a golden statue, they steal it. If they see a key, they make themselves identical copies of it. Is there someway using some sequence of transactions that I can transfer the statue securely to my friend? (A golden statue for the best answer :)



Comments (8)    Posted in Mathematics    

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8 Responses to 'Challenging Question?'

  1. confused - July 31st, 2009 at 11:28 pm

    Put the statue in your suitcase and lock it.
    Send it to him without the key.
    When he gets it he can send you his key as a signal that it has arrived.
    Then you can send him your key and he can open the suitcase.

  2. tenacious D fan - August 4th, 2009 at 12:34 am

    Burn the hotel down and shoot the room handlers. The hand your friend the statue.
    God, I’m the best at answering these things.

  3. superobotz - August 6th, 2009 at 3:38 am

    No, there isn’t. Thanks for your time, though…

  4. lightningviper - August 8th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

    Have the handlers take your unlocked lock and just your lock to your friend. Then have your friend send you his unlocked lock. Put the statue in your suitcase and lock your suitcase with your friends lock. Then send your locked suitcase back to your friend with the statue in it. Since it is your friends lock, and he kept his key, then he can now unlock his lock and take the statue from your suitcase. To easy. (You didn’t say anything about the locks having to be locked when they leave the room.)

  5. I Luv Joel Madden!! - August 10th, 2009 at 11:19 am

    this is easy…and simple wait until ur are allowed to leave your rooms. and meet up with him and give it to him yourself therefore there is no chance for any one to steel it.Wow brilliant!!! Thats what i would do. LOL im smart like that.

  6. Jimbo - August 13th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    He sends his lock(unlocked)to you. You put the statue in your suitcase, lock it with his lock and send it back to him. He then opens the suitcase with his key and he now has has his lock and the statue, but he also has your suitcase. He then sends your empty suitcase back to you. Now you both have your own locks, keys and suitcases and he has the statue.

  7. Bacchante - August 16th, 2009 at 2:22 am

    certainly, just stop time… :)

  8. gmonkai - August 18th, 2009 at 10:26 pm

    The only plausible course lies in either many exchanges involving selfdismemberment,,, or yes… stopping time like Bachante says would be easier..


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