Question 1
Sanjay says: 'Manoj is a liar'
Manoj says: 'Sunil is a liar'
Sunil says: 'Sanjay 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 'Sanjay is a truth-teller' is FALSE → Sanjay is a liar.
→ Manoj says 'Sunil is a liar' - this is TRUE (since Sunil is liar).
→ If Manoj tells truth, then Manoj is truth-teller.
→ Sanjay (liar) says 'Manoj is a liar' - FALSE (since Manoj is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Sanjay=L, Manoj=T, Sunil=L (two liars, one truth-teller).
Step 2: Assume Sunil is a truth-teller.
→ Sunil's statement 'Sanjay is a truth-teller' is TRUE → Sanjay is truth-teller.
→ Sanjay (truth) says 'Manoj is a liar' → TRUE → Manoj is liar.
→ Manoj (liar) says 'Sunil is a liar' - FALSE (since Sunil is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Sanjay=T, Manoj=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, Sanjay and Sunil are truth-tellers, Manoj is a liar.
Step 1: Assume Sunil is a liar.
→ Sunil's statement 'Sanjay is a truth-teller' is FALSE → Sanjay is a liar.
→ Manoj says 'Sunil is a liar' - this is TRUE (since Sunil is liar).
→ If Manoj tells truth, then Manoj is truth-teller.
→ Sanjay (liar) says 'Manoj is a liar' - FALSE (since Manoj is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Sanjay=L, Manoj=T, Sunil=L (two liars, one truth-teller).
Step 2: Assume Sunil is a truth-teller.
→ Sunil's statement 'Sanjay is a truth-teller' is TRUE → Sanjay is truth-teller.
→ Sanjay (truth) says 'Manoj is a liar' → TRUE → Manoj is liar.
→ Manoj (liar) says 'Sunil is a liar' - FALSE (since Sunil is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Sanjay=T, Manoj=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, Sanjay and Sunil are truth-tellers, Manoj is a liar.