[FOM] Denotation version of Gupta's puzzle

[Sandy Hodges]

The language I used in my formulation of the puzzle was not very clear.
Here it is again:


On a certain day five brothers each make a single utterance:

  Albert says "Seven."
  Bertrand says "The sum of all the numbers designated today by David or
by Ethelred."
  Charles says "Ten minus the sum of all the numbers designated today by
David or by Ethelred."
  David says "Ninety-nine."
  Ethelred says "The sum of all the numbers designated today by Albert,
by Bertrand, or by Charles."

Note that while Bertrand's utterance would have been vacuous if neither
David nor Ethelred designated any numbers that day, it is not vacuous if
David designated one or more numbers and Ethelred did not designate
any.  That was the intent of the original formulation, but I hope this
language is more clear.   One should not suppose that Bertrand knew what
his brothers would say, nor even that they would say only one thing.
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Sandy Hodges / Alameda,  California,   USA
mail to SandyHodges at attbi.com will reach me.