Logic Tips Flashcards
Given multiple pieces of information, where should you start?
Start with the one that lets you deduce the most.
When you want to guarantee something will work, what should you ask yourself?
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
When choosing which information to get, what should you think about?
Think about which piece will tell you what you want to know even in the worst case.
When a hidden coin matches an unopened safe, what new information do you get?
It lets us narrow down the possible arrangements of the coins.
Suppose a statement says X is not true. What is the true value of the statement if we learn that the statement is false?
Then we now know that X is true.
When two statements contradict each other, what do we know?
We know that it’s not possible for both statements to be true; that means at least one must be false.
If three items are put in order so a certain two are next to each other, which must be in the middle?
One of the two that must be next to each other has to be in the middle.
If there’s something that is “more” in a category as another thing, what do we know about that thing?
That it can’t rank as the “most” in the category.
If you come to an impossible situation, what do we know about the facts you’ve assumed?
That at least one of them must be false.
Can the statement “I don’t know” be useful to you?
Yes, in fact, it may tell you a lot more than you might think.
What must you do to guarantee success?
Ensure that you will win in every possible scenario. Even if you’ve found one possibility, remember that there might be more out there.
What should you do when solving a puzzle involving large numbers?
Think about how you might solve a similar puzzle involving smaller numbers.
Can it help to imagine a scenario from another person’s perspective?
Yes, in fact, sometimes it even helps to imagine what it would be like to be someone imagining what it’s like to be someone else.
What is the concept of “assume, and then revise”?
Assume something, and then see what results from it. If you run into a contradiction, then your assumption must be false.
If you get a bad outcome, what should you do?
Try something different the next time you see the same scenario.
