The King and the Poison

tech_vaibhav_ee

tech_vaibhav_ee

@tech-vaibhav-ee-65Xzvs • Oct 24, 2024
In a far away land, it was known that if you drank poison, the only way to save yourself is to drink a stronger poison, which neutralizes the weaker poison. The king that ruled the land wanted to make sure that he possessed the strongest poison in the kingdom, in order to ensure his survival, in any situation. So the king called the kingdom's pharmacist and the kingdom's treasurer, he gave each a week to make the strongest poison. Then, each would drink the other one's poison, then his own, and the one that will survive, will be the one that had the stronger poison.
The pharmacist went straight to work, but the treasurer knew he had no chance, for the pharmacist was much more experienced in this field, so instead, he made up a plan to survive and make sure the pharmacist dies. On the last day the pharmacist suddenly realized that the treasurer would know he had no chance, so he must have a plan. After a little thought, the pharmacist realized what the treasurer's plan must be, and he concocted a counter plan, to make sure he survives and the treasurer dies. When the time came, the king summoned both of them. They drank the poisons as planned, and the treasurer died, the pharmacist survived, and the king didn't get what he wanted.
What exactly happened there?
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  • pradeep_agrawal

    pradeep_agrawal

    @pradeep-agrawal-rhdX5z • Jul 3, 2009

    That's really an interesting problem buddy. Here is my solution:

    Treasurer Thought:
    1. He will think that pharmacist will make the strongest poison so that pharmacist can save his own life.
    2. He plan to have a very mild poison before going in front of king and will take water with him as "poison".
    3. When king will ask him to drink the poison created by pharmacist he will drink it and this poison will act as antidote for the mild poison initially taken by him.
    4. Then king will ask him to drink his own poison. Now he actually carry water in name of poison and water does not need antidote so after drinking water he will be alive.
    5. Whereas pharmacist will first drink the poison prepared by treasurer and then he will drink his own poison. Now as the poison prepared by treasurer is water, so the poison prepared by pharmacist will not act as an antidote and the pharmacist will die.
    6. King will think that treasurer has prepared a stronger poison.

    Pharmacist Thought:
    1. He will think that treasure will have above plan so he will make a counter plan.
    2. Instead of making a strongest poison pharmacist will also take water with him and will call it a poison.
    3. The treasure will first drink the poison brought by pharmacist. But this is actually a water so will not act as antidote to the mild poison already taken by treasure.
    4. Then treasure will drink the poison brought by him which is also water and will not act as antidote to the mild poison already taken by him and will die from mild poison.
    5. Whereas pharmacist will first drink the poison brought by treasure which is actually water and will not need any antidote. Then he drink the poison brought by himself which is also water and does not need any antidote. And hence he will survive.
    6. King will think that pharmacist has prepared a stronger poison.

    -Pradeep
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  • silverscorpion

    silverscorpion

    @silverscorpion-iJKtdQ • Jul 4, 2009

    Excellent answer, Pradeep.

    Very interesting.. 😀
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  • tech_vaibhav_ee

    tech_vaibhav_ee

    @tech-vaibhav-ee-65Xzvs • Jul 4, 2009

    great work pradeep....right on target..;-)
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