Thread: Cows and Bulls

Can some-one please explain cows and bulls for me. I know what a cow and a bull means but I still dont understand. This is the problem:
Guess Cows Bulls
245 2 - (A cow means a number is correct in value but in the wrong position and a bull indicates that a number is
354 2 - both correct in value and in the correct position) Question is deduce the answer to the game.
423 2 -

Originally Posted by not happy jan

Can some-one please explain cows and bulls for me. I know what a cow and a bull means but I still dont understand. This is the problem:

Code:

   Guess       Cows     Bulls
   245            2           -               (A cow means a number is correct in value but in the wrong position and a bull indicates that a number is 
   354            2           -                 both correct in value and in the correct position) Question is deduce the answer to the game.
   423            2           -

As none of the trials has any bulls and 4 appears in evey position 4 is incorrect. So the tree numbers are 2, 3 and 5 in some order.

As 3 is not in the correct position when it is in position 1 or 3 it must go in position 2. So the number is *3*.

We see immediatly now that the 5 goes in position 1, and so the number is 53*, and so the 2 goes in position 3 and the final answer is 532.

RonL