Puzzle: How many handshakes?

[b0rk]

My wife and I went to a dinner party with four other couples. At the beginning of the party, some people shook hands. (Obviously, no one shook his or her own hand or spouse's hand, and no one shook hands with the same person twice.) During the party I surveyed all the other people as to how many hands each one shook. I got different answers from everyone. What did my wife say?

Goodluck! :idea:

[Tshute]

Um... 8?

[tigger03]

Goodluck! :idea:

she hugged everyone?
she didn't shake hands with anyone coz she was amputated?
she was afraid to shake hands with anyone for fear of germs?
that everyone was drunk, and you'd never get the right answer?
that the 'couples' were all animals?
that you were dreaming?

[Mems]

4?

-Mems

[b0rk]

Um... 8?

That would be too easy -- this is RFD, I would hope that at least your IQ would be higher. Maybe try "Elementary school riddles" next time? ;)

4?

That's correct, care to explain?

[Tshute]

That would be too easy -- this is RFD, I would hope that at least your IQ would be higher. Maybe try "Elementary school riddles" next time? ;)
:| But she shook everyone's hand, minus her husbands and her own. There were 5 couples there. 4 Couples not counting her and her husband.
A Couple = 2.
2 x 4 = 8.

How can it NOT be 8? :cheesygri

some people shook hands.
Or is that the key there. Only SOME people shook hands. Nice cop-out.

Oh, I'm an Art Student, so I have an excuse to not be good with numbers and junk.

[ChinpokoMon]

http://channels.lockergnome.com/it/archives/20050711_what_was_marys_answer.phtml

[Mems]

That's correct, care to explain?
I'm right?? YESSSS!!! hahahahah!

This is how I deduced this. Each person must have a different number, so not including the guy whos asking, there must be 9 different responses, and since the maximum number of hands they could shake is 8, there must be answers 0-8. So one person said 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 , 1 and finally someone shook no one's hand. (0) Through process of elimination, finally reaching the guy's wife, she must've shook 4 hands.

That's how I got to it dunno if its the right way (maybe I got lucky lol)

-Mems

[ainsane]

4 - women don't shake hands... they hug... unless they're dykes.

ok i didnt even read hte question properly, lmao.

[Tshute]

If she only shook 4 hands, then I would say that is because she only shook the other womens hands. And her husband shook the mens hands. Then it would make sense.

I don't get all this number stuff, and why everyone would have a different number.

[spike-spiegel]

My wife and I went to a dinner party with four other couples. At the beginning of the party, some people shook hands. (Obviously, no one shook his or her own hand or spouse's hand, and no one shook hands with the same person twice.) During the party I surveyed all the other people as to how many hands each one shook. I got different answers from everyone. What did my wife say?

Goodluck! :idea:


LOL, I remember reading this exact same from a textbook or a professor. I don't remember the answer though. Game theory is tough but fun.

[JohnB]

Yeah there was a similar problem involving astronauts at a party, turns out the combinations for everyone shaking hands or not was close to infinity.