Problems

Age
Difficulty
Found: 1100

Prove that the set of all finite subsets of natural numbers \(\mathbb{N}\) is countable. Then prove that the set of all subsets of natural numbers is not countable.

Imagine you see a really huge party bus pulling out, an infinite bus with no seats. Instead everyone on board is identified by their unique name, which is an infinite sequence of \(0\)s and \(1\)s. The bus has every person named with every possible infinite sequence of \(0\)s and \(1\)s, someone is named \(00010000..00...\), someone else \(0101010101...\), and so on. Prove that this time you will not be able to accommodate all the new guests no matter how hard you try.

Prove the triangle inequality: in any triangle \(ABC\) the side \(AB < AC+ BC\).

In certain kingdom there are a lot of cities, it is known that all the distances between the cities are distinct. One morning one plane flew out of each city to the nearest city. Could it happen that in one city landed more than \(5\) planes?

Could you meet a person inhabiting this planet who asks you “Am I a Goop?"

On this planet you meet a couple called Tom and Betty. You hear Tom ask someone: “Are Betty and I both Goops?"
What kind is Betty?

You learn that one of the aliens living on this planet is a wizard. You learnt that by overhearing a certain question being asked on the planet. What question could that have been?

Suppose you meet a person inhabiting this planet and they ask you “Am I a Crick?" What would you conclude?

You meet two friends, Katja and Anja. Katja once asked Anja “Is at least one of us a Goop?"
What kinds are Katja and Anja?

You later learn that there is exactly one wizard on this planet of Cricks and Goops. You would like to find out who that is.
You meet an alien called Andrew. He asks you “Am I the kind that could ask whether I am not the wizard?"
Do you have enough information to tell for sure who the wizard is by now?