Typical Relationship Problems

The following are the typical relationship problems. These problems are solved by using logic.

Problem: - Pointing out to a photograph, a man tells his friend, “She is the daughter of the only son of my father’s wife.” How is the girl in the photograph related to the man?

Solution: - The relations may be analysed as follows:

Father’s wife – Mother; Mother’s only son – Himself.

So, the girl is man’s daughter.

Problem: - Pointing to a man on the stage, Rita said, “He is the brother of the daughter of the wife of my husband.” How is the man on the stage related to Rita?

Solution: - The relations may be analysed as follows:

Wife of husband – Herself; Brother of daughter- Son.

So, the man is Rita’s son.

Problem: - A man pointing to a photograph says, “The lady in the photograph is my nephew’s maternal grandmother.” How is the lady in the photograph related to the man’s sister who has no other sister?

Solution: - Clearly, the lady is the grandmother of man’s sister’s son i.e., the mother of the mother of man’s sister’s son i.e., the mother of man’s sister.

So, the lady is man’s mother.

Problem: - Pointing out to a lady, a girl said, “She is the daughter-in-law of the grandmother of my father’s only son.” How is the lady related to the girl?

Solution: - Father’s only son- My brother; Grandmother of my brother – My grandmother;

Daughter-in-law of my grandmother – My mother.

So, the lady is girl’s mother.
Some Unsolved Typical Relationship Problems

Problem: - Pointing to a lady, a man said, “The son of her only brother is the brother of my wife.” How is the lady related to the man?           (Answer: Sister of father-in-law)

Problem: - Introducing a man to her husband, a woman said, “His brother’s father is the only son of my grandfather.” How is the woman related to this man? (Answer: Sister)

Problem: - A, B, C, D, E, F and G are members of a family consisting of four adults and three children, two of whom, F and G are girls. A and D are brothers and A is a doctor. E is an engineer married to one of the brothers and has two children. B is married to D and G is their child. How is C related to A?

(Answer: C is A’s son.)