Question 1
Amit says: 'Vikram is a liar'
Vikram says: 'Harsha is a liar'
Harsha says: 'Amit is a truth-teller'
Exactly one person is a liar. What can be concluded?
Let's solve step by step:
Step 1: Assume Harsha is a liar.
→ Harsha's statement 'Amit is a truth-teller' is FALSE → Amit is a liar.
→ Vikram says 'Harsha is a liar' - this is TRUE (since Harsha is liar).
→ If Vikram tells truth, then Vikram is truth-teller.
→ Amit (liar) says 'Vikram is a liar' - FALSE (since Vikram is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Amit=L, Vikram=T, Harsha=L (two liars, one truth-teller).
Step 2: Assume Harsha is a truth-teller.
→ Harsha's statement 'Amit is a truth-teller' is TRUE → Amit is truth-teller.
→ Amit (truth) says 'Vikram is a liar' → TRUE → Vikram is liar.
→ Vikram (liar) says 'Harsha is a liar' - FALSE (since Harsha is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Amit=T, Vikram=L, Harsha=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:
Harsha also says: 'Exactly one of us is a liar'
With this constraint, only Step 2 works (two truth-tellers, one liar).
Therefore, Amit and Harsha are truth-tellers, Vikram is a liar.
Step 1: Assume Harsha is a liar.
→ Harsha's statement 'Amit is a truth-teller' is FALSE → Amit is a liar.
→ Vikram says 'Harsha is a liar' - this is TRUE (since Harsha is liar).
→ If Vikram tells truth, then Vikram is truth-teller.
→ Amit (liar) says 'Vikram is a liar' - FALSE (since Vikram is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Amit=L, Vikram=T, Harsha=L (two liars, one truth-teller).
Step 2: Assume Harsha is a truth-teller.
→ Harsha's statement 'Amit is a truth-teller' is TRUE → Amit is truth-teller.
→ Amit (truth) says 'Vikram is a liar' → TRUE → Vikram is liar.
→ Vikram (liar) says 'Harsha is a liar' - FALSE (since Harsha is truth) → consistent.
This gives: Amit=T, Vikram=L, Harsha=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:
Harsha also says: 'Exactly one of us is a liar'
With this constraint, only Step 2 works (two truth-tellers, one liar).
Therefore, Amit and Harsha are truth-tellers, Vikram is a liar.