Pointing to an old man who is playing chess, Vihan said, “His son is my son’s uncle”. How is the old man related to Vihan?
Father
Solving Family Relationship Puzzles
This question is a classic example of a blood relations puzzle. To solve it, we need to carefully break down the statement made by Vihan and deduce the connections step-by-step.
Analyzing Vihan's Statement
Vihan says, “His son is my son’s uncle.” Let's dissect this statement:
- “His son”: This refers to the son of the old man Vihan is pointing to.
- “my son’s uncle”: This refers to the uncle of Vihan's son.
So, the statement means: The son of the old man is the uncle of Vihan's son.
Understanding “My Son’s Uncle”
The uncle of one's son can be one of two people:
- Your brother (Paternal Uncle)
- Your wife's brother (Maternal Uncle)
In the context of typical blood relation puzzles, unless specified otherwise, "uncle" often implies a paternal uncle, especially when linking generations directly through male lines as in this case ("His son" and "my son's uncle"). Let's assume "my son's uncle" refers to Vihan's brother.
Connecting the Relationships
Based on our analysis:
- The old man's son is the person who is Vihan's son's uncle.
- Assuming "my son's uncle" is Vihan's brother.
- Therefore, the old man's son is Vihan's brother.
Deducing the Final Relationship
If the old man's son is Vihan's brother, it means the old man is the father of Vihan's brother. Since Vihan and his brother share the same father, the old man must also be Vihan's father.
| Part of Statement | Interpretation | Implied Relation |
|---|---|---|
| "His son" | Son of the old man | Old Man → Son |
| "my son's uncle" | Uncle of Vihan's son | Vihan's son → Uncle |
| Combining | Old man's son = Vihan's son's uncle | |
| Assuming "my son's uncle" = Vihan's brother | Old man's son = Vihan's brother | Old Man → Son (= Vihan's Brother) |
| Conclusion | If the old man's son is Vihan's brother, then the old man is the father of Vihan's brother, and thus Vihan's father. | Old Man → Vihan |
Thus, the old man playing chess is related to Vihan as his father.
Revision Table: Key Blood Relation Terms
| Term | Relation |
|---|---|
| Father's father | Grandfather (Paternal) |
| Mother's father | Grandfather (Maternal) |
| Father's brother | Uncle (Paternal) |
| Mother's brother | Uncle (Maternal) |
| Father's sister | Aunt (Paternal) |
| Mother's sister | Aunt (Maternal) |
| Brother's son | Nephew |
| Sister's son | Nephew |
| Brother's daughter | Niece |
| Sister's daughter | Niece |
Additional Information on Solving Relation Puzzles
Blood relation questions often require careful step-by-step decoding. It's helpful to draw a family tree or use symbols to represent individuals and their relationships. Start from the person speaking or pointing, and then trace the relationships mentioned in the statement backwards or forwards to find the connection between the two main individuals.
- Break the statement into smaller parts.
- Identify the key people involved.
- Use gender information provided.
- Work backwards from the end of the statement if helpful.
- Consider all possible interpretations (e.g., paternal vs. maternal uncle/aunt) unless context limits it.
In this specific puzzle, understanding that "my son's uncle" refers to the speaker's brother or brother-in-law was crucial. The phrase "His son" then linked this person directly back to the old man, making the deduction straightforward.
Important Questions from General Blood Relation Problems
Pointing to a girl in a college poster, Deepika said, "She is my mother-in-law's only son’s niece". How is that girl's mother related to Deepika?
Pointing to the photograph of a girl, Raghav said, "She is my father's mother's daughter's only brother's daughter". How is Raghav's father related to that girl's mother?
Pointing towards a woman, Reena said, “She is the only daughter of my father-in-law.” How is the woman related to Reena?
Pointing towards Sumit, Anuj said, “He is my mother’s father’s son’s brother’s son”. If Vinita who is married to Kartik, is the mother of Anuj, then how is Vinita related to Sumit?
Introducing Reshma to a guest, a lady, Karishma, said, “She is the daughter of my father-in-law’s daughter”. How is Reshma related to Karishma?
