Math Is Fun Forum

LizzieD

Member

Registered: 2006-04-06

Posts: 3

Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

Hello, I'm a home-schooling mum, and found this wonderfully helpful website,  especially as I'm not too brilliant at maths, and my 8 yr old son will soon be outstripping my abilities!!  I found the Who owns the Fish logic puzzle, and decided to try it out  myself.  I managed to come up with the correct answer by drawing out the houses, and listing the various known pieces of information under them.  However, since this is a maths website, I was wondering what maths would have been involved in discovering the answer?  I'd love a mathematical explanation please, if anyone can help!!:/   Thanks.

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,420

Re: Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

Hi LizzieD,
Welcome to the forum! Thanks for saying this site was 'wonderfully helpful'!
The 'Who owns the fish' puzzle is not a real mathematical problem. I think I can safely say solving the puzzle doesn't require any mathematical technique.
Its just a puzzle aimed at testing the perseverence and determination of the person attempting to solve it. The solution is not got by any mathematical method, just by trying different combinations. Logical thinking is required to solve the puzzle. Since Mathematics is the highest form of logic, I think MathsIsFun decided to put the puzzle in the website.

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It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

Hello Lizzie, and thanks for the nice words!

I guess it comes under the heading of "Logic". Lots of math classes all over the world love this puzzle - it helps train the students in logical thought, and it touches on such ideas as variables, sets etc. Plus it is fun, and you get a real buzz when you actually solve it!

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

LizzieD

Member

Registered: 2006-04-06

Posts: 3

Re: Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

Thanks for both the replies, I'm quite relieved I wasn't missing something obvious!!  I'm off to look at negative numbers now, I love the runner moving backwards and forwards along the number line, this website is really helping me with my maths!!  Thanks again! 

mitsy

Member

Registered: 2006-04-11

Posts: 4

Re: Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

Hi...i tried this and finished it in like 15 to 20 minutes but i did get stuck at one part and i found that all you had to do was go through it step-by-step:D

stardust

Member

Registered: 2006-04-09

Posts: 48

Re: Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

I tried it an managed it ok. I found it was fairly easy by drawing a grid.

star_rider1

Member

Registered: 2007-05-01

Posts: 4

Re: Solving the Who owns the Fish problem

i just drew pictures, it seems to be the easiest way... i don't think its about maths but more about logic and stragie and stuff like that