SUPREMUM – 2015 MYSTERY MIND – ROUND 1

Time Limit – 60 Mins.

Note – Please do explain how you reached to the answer. Answers without explanations would not be considered for shortlisting to the final round.

1. How many books (not including short stories) has Sir Arthur Conan Doyle written?

2. Which one of the statements given below is true? (Tick the correct one)

The number of false statements here is one.

The number of false statements here is two.

The number of false statements here is three

The number of false statements here is four.

3. An S-shaped rope burns for exactly one hour. How do you measure 45 minutes using two such ropes?

4. You are blindfolded and 10 coins are placed in front of you on a table. You are allowed to touch the coins, but you cannot tell which way up they are (Heads or Tails) by feel. You are told that there are 5 coins with heads up and 5 coins with tails up, but not which ones are which. How do you make two piles of coins each with the same number of heads up?

5. Imagine that you are in the middle of a cave with an unlimited number of gold coins (That’s right). To get out of the cave, you have to go through 1000000000 doors. Each door is guarded by a man. Each man would take half of the coins you have and after that, would give you 1 coin back. What is the maximum number of coins that you can take with yourself out of the cave?

6. Who is the author of ‘The murder on the orient express ’?

7. In how many maximum number of pieces can you divide a circular cake using 3 cuts?

8. During the latest round of the KMC triathlon, Keith was fourth. Adrian is not the oldest, but is older than Duncan, who was not second. The child who was next in age to the youngest, finished second. The child who finished in third place is older than the child who finished first. Billy is younger than the child who finished in third place. Can you determine who finished where and place the children in order of age?

SOLUTIONSQ1. Four. 1. The hound of the Baskervilles

2. A study in scarlet.

3. The sign of four.

4. The valley of fear.

Q2. Option 3. This is because if three statements are false, then one is correct.

Q3. First start burning rope 1 at both ends, and rope 2 at one end only.  When rope 1 finishes burning (which will take 30

minutes), light the other end of rope 2.  45 minutes is up when rope 2 finishes burning.

Q4. Take 5 coins from the table, and flip them. Make the cases and verify the answer by yourself.

Q5. Only 2 coins. Each guard would take the half (1) and give you a coin back. So you would be left with 2 coins at the end of every door. Any number greater than 2 cannot be the answer.

Q6. Agatha Christie

Q7. 7. The third cut must not pass through the center, but must pass through the other two cuts.

Q8.

Rank Name Age1 Duncan Youngest2 Billy Next to Youngest3 Adrian Second next to Youngest4 Keith Eldest