To be a mine or not to be a mine...

Logic Level 1

Is cell Z a mine?

Note : The number in each of the 4 open cells represents the number of hidden mines in the 8 cells around that number.

Yes No There isn't enough information

Zandra Vinegar by Zandra Vinegar

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9 solutions

Zandra Vinegar Staff
Dec 13, 2017

121 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 1 Confused

Moderator note:

If the question is instead "is there a configuration of mines consistent with this number pattern?" it becomes what is known as the Minesweeper Consistency Problem.

It's known to be a difficult problem to make a general algorithm for; in computer science jargon, it is NP-complete. Because of this, it is linked to something called the P vs. NP Problem, a problem considered significant enough that the Clay Mathematics Institute has offered a million-dollar prize for its solution.

One way to claim the prize would be to find an efficient algorithm to solve the Minesweeper Consistency Problem (in computer science jargon again, finding a polynomial-time algorithm).

Each number should have eight mine neighbours...

PARITOSH KUMAR - 3 years, 5 months ago

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How do you work that out??

Ben Hunter - 3 years, 5 months ago

What is a mine? Please explain.

Bhanvar Shivpratap Singh Baghel - 3 years, 5 months ago

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Have you played minesweeper before??

Ben Hunter - 3 years, 5 months ago

Not having played minesweeper is your real problem here

Martín Isla - 3 years, 5 months ago

A mine is a hidden bomb, usually underneath the surface of a superficial or some facade of some sort

Rafael Lopez - 3 years, 4 months ago

Although I got it right, it should say that only one mine can be in a cell. Ed Gray

Edwin Gray - 3 years, 5 months ago

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That is a given for the game Minesweeper

Chris Cheek - 3 years, 5 months ago

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You should be aware that not everybody in the world was exposed to the game in their life, so this question could seem a bit irrational to them.

Nathan Pike - 3 years, 5 months ago

Oh yeah I got it

Sandhya Saini - 3 years, 5 months ago

How did you work it out? Basically trial and error?

P P - 3 years, 5 months ago

how ever if this applies to a real situation, it can be concluded that z has a mine. nobody would take the risk to step on that z, in reality or majority people would think that there is a mine. :-)

Renemar Sultones - 3 years, 5 months ago
Zain Majumder
Dec 17, 2017

A red square means that a mine is placed on it. You can see that there is a way for Z Z to have a mine and not have a mine.

98 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 1 Confused

Its a mine

Ben Hunter - 3 years, 5 months ago

The exact same two I had as my examples.

David Richner - 3 years, 5 months ago

I miscounted and tripped myself up. I hope I could have gotten it otherwise...

jem 56 - 3 years, 5 months ago

I feel that as the are numerous ways to arrange the bombs, so tbe above information is false. Also if it showed a hint or a start or a technique it would probably be solved.

STUDY CORNER - 3 years, 5 months ago

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No, there are exactly 3 possible arrangements, one of which is symmetric to the seccond example @Zain Majumder has given, therefore, the above information is true.

On the other hand, I do agree that they could have given some more details about minesweeper rules, or at least provide us with a link.

Marc Garcia - 3 years, 5 months ago
Mevan Alles
Dec 19, 2017

If atleast one combination of mines can be found for which Z is a mine and Z is not a mine, we can conclude information is not enough.

32 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Robert DeLisle
Dec 20, 2017

4 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Tthecool Jose
Dec 19, 2017

Just try to find a arrangement where Z is not a mine ; because there are a lot of clearly obvious ways of Z being a mine.

4 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Tarun Sharma
Dec 19, 2017

The information is not sufficient enough beccause the no of bombs in 8 cells are arbitary so there are infinite ways of arranging the bombs....so there are cases whenre in bomb may be present on z or not

1 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
So Jh
Apr 27, 2018

Answer is C: Probability of Z being a mine because of 6=6/8 Probability of Z being a mine because of 2=2/8 Probability of Z being a mine because of 4=4/8 Probability of Z being a mine because of 6=6/8 Total probability=36/324 Hence we can't be sure

0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Nandni Jotwani
Dec 22, 2017

It is possible to find a solution when all the conditions are satisfied but Z is not a mine at the same time we can also obtain a solution where all the conditions are satisfied but Z is a mine .

0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused
Steve Jobs
Dec 22, 2017

Trying a combination that doesn’t include Z as a mine shows that it’s possible for Z not be a mine, and since it’s obvious that Z can be a mine too, it means that there are not enough information

0 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

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