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I, too, have to say that the answer is "his son."

A = viewer, me
B = man in the picture, this man

this man's father is my father's son
this man's father = my father's son
B's father = A's father's son

A's father's son = A or A's brother
Since A doesn't have any brother, there's only A, so:

B's father = A
So, B (man in picture) is A (the viewer)'s son
 
You can also use logic:

A man is looking at a picture of a man on the wall and states:
Brothers and Sister I have none >>>can't be his brother (or sister)
but this mans father is my fathers son >>>>himself's father is his father and his father's son is himself
Who is the man in the picture? So, it's himself

That should help with your headache. :)

It seems as though you've assumed the man in the picture is the viewer when you say: 'himself's father is his father'. In other words, you took 'this man' and substituted it with 'himself'. Correct me I'm wrong.

So, all we know is that if the man has no brothers: 'my father's son' must be the viewer. From the viewer's perspective, that would read: 'this man's father is me'.
 
Is the problem due to the fact in the 3rd line that "this man" does not have a clear unambiguous antecedent? (I think that is the term used when a pronoun refers to something).

We aren't sure if "this man" refers to the man in the picture or the man looking at the picture.
 
Is the problem due to the fact in the 3rd line that "this man" does not have a clear unambiguous antecedent? (I think that is the term used when a pronoun refers to something).

We aren't sure if "this man" refers to the man in the picture or the man looking at the picture.

I think it has to be referring to the man in the picture. If he was referring to himself as 'this man', it would say: 'my father is my father's son'. I think....
 
The guy in the picture is called George, the guy looking at the picture is called Mikey. George's dad is the son of Mikey's dad. It's not saying George is the son of Mikey's dad which would make George and Mikey the same thing (ie. himself), it's saying George's dad is the son of Mikey's dad.

Read it again:

but this mans father is my fathers son
 
Is this some sort of transatlantic dialect difference?

To me, it's obvious and crystal clear that the person in the picture is the son of the viewer.

But looking at the replies above, most USA people seem to think it's himself, and most british / irish replies think it's the son.

My interpretation:

A man [Adam] is looking at a picture of a man [Bob] on the wall and states:
Brothers and Sister I have none,
but this man[Bob]'s father is my[Adam's] father's son
Who is the man in the picture?

So Bob's father is the son of Adam's father.

Bob's father is Adam.

Where a lot of people seem to be going wrong (to me at least) is that they claim that the man in the picture has the SAME father as the man looking at the picture. They read:

"but this man's father is my father ... " and stop right there, thinking they've worked it out.

Wrong. There's an extra word on the end.

"but this man's father is my father's son "

in other words:

"my father had a son who became the father of the man in the picture "

Hope that all makes it clear. Not often I get to prove Sushi wrong :) Now where's Doc Q when we need him? Someone man the Q-signal!

(If there's something about USA english that makes it seem to be himself in the picture, please explain)
 
The original riddle:
A man is looking at a photograph and states: "Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man's father is my father's son." Who is the man in the photograph?

So let's say I am looking at a photo of some boy. I'm saying that the boy's dad is my dad's son. My dad's son is me because I don't have any other brothers or sisters. So basically, the boy's dad is me. The only way for the boy's dad to be me is if the boy is my son.

He's looking at a picture of himself.




Kidding, he's looking at a picture of his son. :)
 
The original riddle:
A man is looking at a photograph and states: "Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man's father is my father's son." Who is the man in the photograph?

So let's say I am looking at a photo of some boy. I'm saying that the boy's dad is my dad's son. My dad's son is me because I don't have any other brothers or sisters. So basically, the boy's dad is me. The only way for the boy's dad to be me is if the boy is my son.

He's looking at a picture of himself.

Kidding, he's looking at a picture of his son. :)

Everyone fails to forget, or at least it seems so, that "his son" is not one of the selections. It's either: brother, sister, himself, or his father. So, IT'S HIMSELF, and either the riddle is worded badly or IDK.
 
Everyone fails to forget, or at least it seems so, that "his son" is not one of the selections. It's either: brother, sister, himself, or his father. So, IT'S HIMSELF, and either the riddle is worded badly or IDK.

The application is flawed. The OP states "loads of reviewers are complaining that the answer is in fact the viewers son but I make it that it is himself. the complaints say the app is stupid because none of the answers are correct."
 
Is this some sort of transatlantic dialect difference?

To me, it's obvious and crystal clear that the person in the picture is the son of the viewer.

But looking at the replies above, most USA people seem to think it's himself, and most british / irish replies think it's the son.

My interpretation:



So Bob's father is the son of Adam's father.

Bob's father is Adam.

Where a lot of people seem to be going wrong (to me at least) is that they claim that the man in the picture has the SAME father as the man looking at the picture. They read:

"but this man's father is my father ... " and stop right there, thinking they've worked it out.

Wrong. There's an extra word on the end.

"but this man's father is my father's son "

in other words:

"my father had a son who became the father of the man in the picture "

Hope that all makes it clear. Not often I get to prove Sushi wrong :) Now where's Doc Q when we need him? Someone man the Q-signal!

(If there's something about USA english that makes it seem to be himself in the picture, please explain)

I happen to be from the USA, and I think it is rather obvious that it is the viewers son. You summed up my thoughts exactly and explained it better then I could have.
 
My interpretation:

So Bob's father is the son of Adam's father.

Bob's father is Adam.

Where a lot of people seem to be going wrong (to me at least) is that they claim that the man in the picture has the SAME father as the man looking at the picture. They read:

"but this man's father is my father ... " and stop right there, thinking they've worked it out.

Wrong. There's an extra word on the end.

"but this man's father is my father's son "

in other words:

"my father had a son who became the father of the man in the picture "

Hope that all makes it clear. Not often I get to prove Sushi wrong :) Now where's Doc Q when we need him? Someone man the Q-signal!

(If there's something about USA english that makes it seem to be himself in the picture, please explain)
Okay, my brain hurts.

I'm going to take a break and look at it again tomorrow after a good night's rest.
 
i got all these right first time. was suprised cuz im sure id put the wrong answer for a few of them.

what the hell was that roof question about lol? that was a guess!!!!
 
Nope.


Separate into two statements.

Assume my name is John and I am looking at the picture.

First part --> "But this man's father"

So the person in the picture has a father. Let's call him George.

This is unclear. Whom do we call "George", the person or his father?


Second part --> "is my father's son"

The man in the picture is the son of a father.

Yes.

Since it is my father, it must be George.

So George has a son.

Since I (John) do not have any sisters or brothers, it must be me.

Hope that helps.

No, it doesn't.

"but this mans father is my fathers son"

"this man" and the viewer cannot be the same person, since the father of "this man" is the son of the viewer's father.

If "this man" were the son of the viewer's father, he could be the viewer:

FATHER
-> THIS MAN
-> VIEWER

Since VIEWER has no siblings, they would be the same person.

But what we have here is "but this mans father is my fathers son":

SUPER-FATHER
-> VIEWER
-> MY FATHERS SON
-> -> THIS MAN

If VIEWER and MY FATHERS SON are the same person, THIS MAN, who is MY FATHERS SON, has to be the son of the VIEWER. But he cannot be the VIEWER himself.
 
I honestly think my explanation is very straight forward.

The original riddle:
A man is looking at a photograph and states: "Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man's father is my father's son." Who is the man in the photograph?

So let's say I am looking at a photo of some boy. I'm saying that the boy's dad is my dad's son. My dad's son is me because I don't have any other brothers or sisters. So basically, the boy's dad is me. The only way for the boy's dad to be me is if the boy is my son.

He's looking at a picture of his son. :)
 
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