Question 1
Manoj says: 'Sanjay is a liar'
Sanjay says: 'Sunil is a liar'
Sunil says: 'Manoj is a truth-teller'
Exactly one person is a liar. What can be concluded?
Let's solve step by step:
Step 1: Assume Sunil is a liar.
→ Sunil's statement 'Manoj is a truth-teller' is FALSE → Manoj is a liar.
→ Sanjay says 'Sunil is a liar' - this is TRUE (since Sunil is liar).
→ If Sanjay tells truth, then Sanjay is truth-teller.
→ Manoj (liar) says 'Sanjay is a liar' - FALSE (since Sanjay is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Manoj=L, Sanjay=T, Sunil=L (two liars, one truth-teller).
Step 2: Assume Sunil is a truth-teller.
→ Sunil's statement 'Manoj is a truth-teller' is TRUE → Manoj is truth-teller.
→ Manoj (truth) says 'Sanjay is a liar' → TRUE → Sanjay is liar.
→ Sanjay (liar) says 'Sunil is a liar' - FALSE (since Sunil is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Manoj=T, Sanjay=L, Sunil=T (two truth-tellers, one liar).
Both assignments are valid! This puzzle has two solutions.
To guarantee a unique solution, we add a fourth person:
Sunil also says: 'Exactly one of us is a liar'
With this constraint, only Step 2 works (two truth-tellers, one liar).
Therefore, Manoj and Sunil are truth-tellers, Sanjay is a liar.
Step 1: Assume Sunil is a liar.
→ Sunil's statement 'Manoj is a truth-teller' is FALSE → Manoj is a liar.
→ Sanjay says 'Sunil is a liar' - this is TRUE (since Sunil is liar).
→ If Sanjay tells truth, then Sanjay is truth-teller.
→ Manoj (liar) says 'Sanjay is a liar' - FALSE (since Sanjay is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Manoj=L, Sanjay=T, Sunil=L (two liars, one truth-teller).
Step 2: Assume Sunil is a truth-teller.
→ Sunil's statement 'Manoj is a truth-teller' is TRUE → Manoj is truth-teller.
→ Manoj (truth) says 'Sanjay is a liar' → TRUE → Sanjay is liar.
→ Sanjay (liar) says 'Sunil is a liar' - FALSE (since Sunil is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Manoj=T, Sanjay=L, Sunil=T (two truth-tellers, one liar).
Both assignments are valid! This puzzle has two solutions.
To guarantee a unique solution, we add a fourth person:
Sunil also says: 'Exactly one of us is a liar'
With this constraint, only Step 2 works (two truth-tellers, one liar).
Therefore, Manoj and Sunil are truth-tellers, Sanjay is a liar.