King's Riddle

[Rndm_Perfection]

The King is about to die. He sends messengers throughout the land looking for the three smartest people. Finally, three are found. He gives them a task to see which one is the wisest. He tells them, "I will seat you in a triangle so that each of you faces the other two. Then I will blindfold you and paint either a yellow or a blue dot on each of your foreheads. When I remove the blindfolds you must each raise your hand if you see any yellow dots. As soon as you have worked out what colour your own dot is, lower your hand and tell me." So he seats them, blindfolds them, and then paints a yellow dot on all three foreheads. When the blindfolds are removed, all three hands go up. After a long pause, one hand comes down and the man says, "Your Highness, I have a yellow dot." How did he know?


Of course, like many riddles, you can probably find the answer out from the internet (or worse... Yu-Gi-Oh, heheh). If you know the answer from some outside source, hold out for a bit, or send me the answer through PM.

[BlueFire]

If you're going to do all these riddles, at least put them all in one thread.

[Rndm_Perfection]

Aye, if I am to do a new one, it will be in this thread.

[GameMaster]

As the blindfolds are removed, all three men raise their hands. This could only be possible if:

• at least two of the men have yellow dots

or

• if all the men have yellow dots.

The man saw yellow dots on the heads of the other men, so he raises his hand, and sees that the other two men have raised their hands as well. If he had a red dot on his head, one of the other men could quickly figure that he himself had a yellow dot. Since everyone sits there looking confused, and because "The Wisest" knows that the other two men are wise men also, he deduces that his dot must be yellow.

[Rndm_Perfection]

Your title as extraordinaire comes without question. Well answered.