Question

Who is the eldest brother?

• A. A
• B. E
• C. C
• D. Cannot be determined

Hint:

For age puzzles, first decode each statement into past/future relationships, then connect them into chains. Compare the chains to find the overall order.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Let us carefully decode the puzzle step-by-step, keeping track of the logic in terms of age order.
We have seven brothers: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
From A’s statement to B: “You are as old as C was when I was twice as old as D” — This gives us a relative age relation:
- There was a past time when A was twice as old as D. At that time, C’s age is equal to B’s current age. This suggests C is older than B, because C’s past age = B’s present age. Therefore, $C>B$.
“And will be as old as E was when he was as old as C is now” — This implies:
- In the future, B will have the same age as E had at a time in the past when E’s age matched C’s current age.
This suggests $E>C$, because E reached C’s current age earlier.
From B’s reply to A: “You may be older than F but G is as old as I was when you were as old as G is” — This gives another chain:
- G’s current age = B’s past age (when A’s age was equal to G’s current age). This indicates $A>G$ and $G>F$.
“And D will be as old as F was when F will be as old as G is” — This is a complex future-past mapping:
- At a future point when F reaches G’s current age, D will match F’s past age. This generally implies $F>D$.
Compiling the deductions: 1. $E>C>B$ (Eldest in this chain)
2. $A>G>F>D$ (Another chain)
3. Since $E>C$ and A is not linked as younger than E, we compare both chains. From hints, $E$ is the eldest overall.
Hence, E is the eldest brother.
\(\boxed{\text{Correct Answer: (B) E}}\)