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Comment on Circus Clowns
Dear Brent, it seems that
It certainly feels like a
It certainly feels like a Paradox question. However, Paradox questions ask us to resolve the paradox, whereas this question asks us to determine something that can be inferred from the given information. It just turns out that the correct answer also resolves the paradox.
Hi Brent,
I don't think that the answer choice C can anyhow be justified under any additional information.
All premises are based on the idea of Pedro's friends. So we are not interested in those peoples who are friends of his friends.
Am I right, or I shouldn't be so certain?
Thank you in advance,
Here's how answer choice C is
Here's how answer choice C is POSSIBLE (but not necessarily follow from the premises):
Let's say that Pedro has exactly 4 friends: A, B, C, D (none of which are clowns)
Now let's say that A, B, C, and D all know Joe the Clown.
Since Pedro does not know Joe, Pedro does not know any clowns.
In this case, all of the premises are correct.
This also means that answer choice C is true.
Does that help?
Cheers,
Brent
Hi Brent,
Your reasoning makes sense but without the premise that "some friends do not know Joe the Clown". Since A,B,C and D are all his friends, at least one of them must not know Joe the Clown. But as you said↓
"Let's say that Pedro has exactly 4 friends: A, B, C, D (none of which are clowns)
Now let's say that A, B, C, and D all know Joe the Clown."
That is why I think C can not be true under any circumstance
What do you think?
Good point!
Good point!
To make answer choice C possible, it could be the case that:
Pedro has exactly 4 friends: A, B, C, D (none of which are clowns)
Now let's say that A, B, and C all know Joe the Clown.
D does NOT know any clowns.
A, B, C and D all SAY they know a clown.
Since Pedro does not know Joe, Pedro does not know any clowns.
This meets all of the given premises.
It also satisfies answer choices A and C
Cheers,
Brent
Hi Brent,
I probably missed the difference between saying and actually knowing.
Could you also give an example in which C choice is not true(making it a wrong choice)?
Thank you in advance
An example in which C choice
An example in which C choice is not true:
Pedro has exactly 2 friends: Al and Bea (neither of which are clowns)
Al has exactly 2 friends: Pedro and Bea
Bea has exactly 2 friends: Pedro and Al
Al and Bea do not know any clowns, but they both SAY they know clowns.
In this case, C is not true.
Hi Brent,
I have just realized how silly my questions were,
Sorry for that)),
I don't think they were silly
I don't think they were silly. In fact, it took me a while to think of those examples.
Cheers,
Brent
I don't think they were silly
I don't think they were silly. In fact, it took me a while to think of those examples.
Cheers,
Brent
Hi Brent,
I don't get why c is incorrect. Please explain with an example.
Let's say Pedro has two
Let's say Pedro has two friends: A and B.
Friend A has no friends other than Pedro.
Friend B has no friends other than Pedro.
Also, Friend A knows someone who is a licensed circus clown (but is not friends with that person), and Friend B knows someone who is a licensed circus clown (but is not friends with that person).
This means answer choice C need not be true.
Does that help?