Fw: Lightbulb stumper...

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>     caryle> Q---How do you determine which switch operates which
>     caryle> bulb???  Anneliese
> 
> First, you must determine whether there is a one to one correspondence
> between switches and controlled bulbs.  This is in fact highly
> unlikely under random conditions, as each bulb is potentially
> independent of the others, yet a combination of more than one switch
> could affect a single bulb.  THE PROBLEM STATEMENT DOES NOT RULE OUT
> THIS POSSIBILITY!

Not quite true -- the fact that one switch control one bulb is implicit
in the question "How do you determined which switch operates which
bulb?"

> Even if I *COULD* see all the bulbs, I wouldn't touch this one with a
> ten foot pole!

The solution to this problem indeed lies in touching the bulbs :-)
How's that for a hint?  For that solution to work, we must also be
assured that all switches are in the "off" position.

Richard Masoner
Champaign Illinois USA