Can you solve the passcode riddle? - Ganesh Pai | Summary and Q&A

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July 7, 2016
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Can you solve the passcode riddle? - Ganesh Pai

TL;DR

In a dystopian world, a group of captives must use math and logic to solve a code and escape a deadly challenge, ultimately freeing themselves and planning to liberate the rest of humanity.

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Key Insights

  • 👥 The group is in a dystopian world where they have been captured and brought to an ancient colosseum.
  • 👨‍💻 Zara is chosen to solve the code and escape the deadly challenge.
  • 💁 The clues provided include information about the product, sum, and uniqueness of the numbers in the code.
  • 🍹 Zara narrows down the potential combinations by considering the unique sums.
  • 🆘 The third clue helps Zara determine the correct combination.
  • 👨‍💻 With the correct code, the group successfully escapes.
  • 😣 They plan to liberate the rest of humanity from the tyrannical rulers.

Transcript

In this dystopian world, your resistance group is humanity's last hope. Unfortunately, you've all been captured by the tyrannical rulers and brought to the ancient colosseum for their deadly entertainment. Before you're thrown into the dungeon, you see many numbered hallways leading outside. But each exit is blocked by an electric barrier with a c... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Zara approach solving the code?

Zara begins by considering the product clue and discovers the eight possible combinations of three positive whole numbers that multiply to 36.

Q: What realization helps Zara narrow down the potential combinations?

Zara realizes that all but two of the combinations have unique sums, and if her hallway number matched any of those sums, she would know the correct combination without asking for the third clue.

Q: How does Zara determine the correct combination?

Since Zara asked for the third clue, she knows that the hallway number matched the only sum that appears more than once in the list: thirteen. This helps her determine that the code is 2, 2, 9.

Q: How do they successfully escape?

Using the code 2, 2, 9, the group escapes through hallway thirteen and rejoins Zara outside, preparing to free the rest of the world.

Summary

In a dystopian world, a resistance group is captured by tyrannical rulers and brought to an ancient colosseum. They discover that one member will be chosen to try and escape by solving a code, while the rest will be fed to mutant salamanders. Using logical reasoning, Zara is chosen for the challenge and given an audio transmitter so the others can listen in. She must enter a code consisting of three positive whole numbers in ascending order, with clues given to her from a voice. The first clue is that the product of the numbers is 36. The second clue is that the sum of the numbers is equal to the number of the hallway she entered. After a long silence, Zara requests the third clue, which reveals that the largest number appears only once in the combination. Zara manages to escape successfully, leaving her transmitter out of range. The remaining group must now find the solution to the code.

Questions & Answers

Q: What were the three clues given to Zara for the code?

The first clue is that the product of the three numbers is 36. The second clue is that the sum of the numbers is equal to the number of the hallway Zara entered. The third clue is that the largest number appears only once in the combination.

Q: How did the group narrow down the possible combinations for the code?

From the first clue, they were able to identify that there are eight possible combinations that would give a product of 36.

Q: How did the group determine the correct combination from the two possibilities?

The group realized that if Zara's hallway number had matched any of the unique sums obtained from the eight combinations, she would have immediately known the correct combination without needing the third clue. Since she asked for the third clue, it means her hallway number matched the only sum that appeared more than once: thirteen.

Q: What was the significance of the third clue in determining the correct combination?

The third clue stated that the largest number in the combination appears only once. This rule allowed the group to eliminate the combination 1,6,6 since the number 6 appeared twice. The correct combination was then determined to be 2,2,9.

Q: How did the group escape after finding the correct combination?

When night fell, the group used hallway number thirteen, which matched the sum of the correct combination, 2,2,9, to escape the colosseum and reunite with Zara outside.

Q: What was the main strategy the group used to determine the correct combination?

The group used logical reasoning and deduction by examining the given clues and eliminating possibilities that did not match the information provided.

Q: What was the purpose of giving Zara an audio transmitter for the challenge?

The audio transmitter allowed the rest of the group to listen to the clues being given to Zara, enabling them to collectively solve the code and plan their escape.

Q: How did Zara manage to escape successfully even without her transmitter in range?

The information provided in the question does not specify how Zara escaped successfully without her transmitter in range.

Q: What dangers did the group face in attempting to solve the code and escape?

The group faced the imminent threat of being fed to mutant salamanders if they failed to solve the code and escape successfully.

Q: What is the significance of the group's escape in terms of their mission?

The group's successful escape represents a step towards freeing themselves and potentially the rest of the world from the tyrannical rulers and their dystopian regime.

Takeaways

In this challenging situation, the group relied on their logical reasoning skills and deduction to solve the code and secure their escape. By carefully analyzing the given clues and systematically eliminating possibilities, they were able to determine the correct combination. Their success highlights the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, even in dire circumstances. Through their escape, they have achieved a small victory and are now motivated to continue their resistance efforts in order to bring freedom to the world.

Summary & Key Takeaways

  • A resistance group is captured and brought to an ancient colosseum for deadly entertainment.

  • They learn that one of them will have the chance to escape through an exit blocked by electric barriers with a combination keypad.

  • Using clues about the product, sum, and uniqueness of the numbers in the code, Zara successfully escapes, leading to the group's freedom.

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