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THE ELDEST IS 8 YEARS OLD AND THE 2 YOUNGER ONES ARE 3 YEARS OLD. LET'S BREAK IT DOWN. THE PRODUCT OF THEIR AGES IS 72. SO THE POSSIBLE CHOICES ARE: 2, 2, 18 - SUM(2, 2, 18) = 22 2, 4, 9 - SUM(2, 4, 9) = 15 2, 6, 6 - SUM(2, 6, 6) = 14 2, 3, 12 - SUM(2, 3, 12) = 17 3, 4, 6 - SUM(3, 4, 6) = 13 3, 3, 8 - SUM(3, 3, 8 ) = 14 1, 8, 9 - SUM(1,8,9) = 18 1, 3, 24 - SUM(1, 3, 24) = 28 1, 4, 18 - SUM(1, 4, 18) = 23 1, 2, 36 - SUM(1, 2, 36) = 39 1, 6, 12 - SUM(1, 6, 12) = 19 THE SUM OF THEIR AGES IS THE SAME AS YOUR BIRTH DATE. THAT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM 1 TO 31 BUT THE FACT THAT JACK WAS UNABLE TO FIND OUT THE AGES, IT MEANS THERE ARE TWO OR MORE COMBINATIONS WITH THE SAME SUM. FROM THE CHOICES ABOVE, ONLY TWO OF THEM ARE POSSIBLE NOW. 2, 6, 6 - SUM(2, 6, 6) = 14 3, 3, 8 - SUM(3, 3, 8 ) = 14 SINCE THE ELDEST KID IS TAKING PIANO LESSONS, WE CAN ELIMINATE COMBINATION 1 SINCE THERE ARE TWO ELDEST ONES. THE ANSWER IS 3, 3 AND 8 BRUCE TAKES 9 OF HIS 10 CIGARETTE BUTTS AND TURNS THEM INTO 3 CIGARETTES TOTAL (3 CIGARETTE BUTTS CAN BE TURNED INTO 1 CIGARETTE). HE SMOKES ALL THREE OF THESE, AND NOW HE HAS 4 CIGARETTE BUTTS. HE THEN TURNS 3 OF THE 4 CIGARETTE BUTTS INTO ANOTHER CIGARETTE AND SMOKES IT. HE HAS NOW SMOKED 4 CIGARETTES AND HAS 2 CIGARETTE BUTTS. AND FINALLY HE GOES AND BORROWS ONE OF TOM'S CIGARETTE BUTTS. WITH THIS CIGARETTE BUTT PLUS THE 2 HE ALREADY HAS, HE IS ABLE TO MAKE HIS 5TH CIGARETTE TO SMOKE. AFTER SMOKING IT, HE IS LEFT WITH 1 CIGARETTE BUTT, WHICH HE PUTS BACK IN TOM'S PILE SO THAT TOM WON'T FIND ANYTHING MISSING CHERYL'S BIRTHDAY IS ON JULY 16. FROM ALBERT'S FIRST STATEMENT, WE CAN ELIMINATE MAY AND JUNE. THE DATES MAY 19 AND JUNE 18 ARE UNIQUE (19 ONLY APPEARS IN MAY 19 AND 18 ONLY APPEARS IN JUNE 18) AND IF THERE IS NO WAY FOR BERNARD TO KNOW CHERYL'S BIRTHDAY, THEN IT CANNOT BE MAY OR JUNE. BERNARD CAN NOW ELIMINATE MAY AND JUNE AFTER ALBERT'S FIRST STATEMENT. IF BERNARD CAN NOW DEDUCE CHERYL'S BIRTHDAY, THE DATE HAS TO BE UNIQUE. THEREFORE, WE CAN ELIMINATE JULY 14 AND AUG 14 AS WELL. NOW WE ARE LEFT WITH JULY 16, AUG 15 OR AUG 17. ALBERT NOW KNOWS IT CAN ONLY BE JULY 16, AUG 15 OR AUG 17. HE KNOWS THE MONTH BUT NOT THE DATE, AND THAT IS ENOUGH TO TELL HIM THE CORRECT ANSWER. THEREFORE IT CAN ONLY BE JULY 16. IF IT HAD BEEN AUGUST, THEN HE WILL NOT KNOW IF IT IS AUG 15 OR AUG 17 THE WEIGHT OF THE 5 RINGS ARE 1, 2, 4, 8 AND 16 GRAMS. USING THE COMBINATION OF THE 5 TYPE OF WEIGHTS YOU CAN REWARD FROM 1 TO 31 GRAMS IN WEIGHT TO THE WISE MAN. FOR EXAMPLE: FOR THE 3RD DAY, YOU CAN GIVE HIM THE 1 AND 2 GRAM RINGS. FOR THE 15TH DAY, YOU CAN GIVE HIM THE 1, 2, 4, 8 GRAM RINGS. FOR THE 30TH DAY, YOU CAN GIVE HIM THE 2, 4, 8, 16 GRAMS