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Question:Trying to find a water measuring puzzle

The above question was an identification request which was closed as a duplicate to this. While it is true that this question was in fact the puzzle the OP was referring to, I (personally) don't think that they are duplicates.

The linked question asks

What is the puzzle that goes like this.

While the other one is the puzzle itself.

Should such questions be closed?

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    $\begingroup$ this puzzle, because it's not well remembered, has now got answers that say it can't be done, so must be misremembered, and others that say it can be done (and show how for certain bucket sizes). All of these have been downvoted and most have a comment that says "the question wants to find the puzzle, not a solution for it" - which imo would be a better use for a NAA flag, but downvoting doesn't have to be justified and there may not even be a connection. The point is that it's not really clear whether the OP wants help remembering it, a solution, a name, a publication date, or ... ? $\endgroup$
    – Kate Gregory
    Oct 10, 2015 at 21:10
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    $\begingroup$ and in the absence of certainty from the OP, at least one other person has decided they are certain and are going to enforce their point of view. $\endgroup$
    – Kate Gregory
    Oct 10, 2015 at 21:11

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I disagree with closing this question as a duplicate, for a couple of reasons.

First, the question it is a duplicate of is very general (an arbitrary number of jugs, of arbitrary size), and is unlikely to be the form of the puzzle the OP is looking for.

Second, a lot of information that might be desirable in an answer to the closed question would not be appropriate in an answer to the question it is supposed to be a duplicate of. I'm thinking specifically about the history of the puzzle (where it first appeared in print, who the creator was,...).

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  • $\begingroup$ I have voted to reopen the question, However, it needs a better answer than what there is right now. $\endgroup$
    – Rohcana
    Sep 29, 2015 at 9:18
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Yes, because the alternative is to answer "The answer to your question is this question over here", and the dupe system deals with the situation more neatly (IMO).

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    $\begingroup$ Hmm, I thought from the asker's perspective, but not from the answerers, good point. $\endgroup$
    – Rohcana
    Sep 27, 2015 at 15:28
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    $\begingroup$ Personally I would rather see an answer linking to the other question. That way people could still post other answers, and it isn't hard for me to imagine another answer that's better than "The answer to your question is this question over here." $\endgroup$
    – Julian Rosen
    Sep 27, 2015 at 16:09
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Personal opinion: I think closing is the best option, but for a different reason. I'd just label it as 'too broad', given the abundance of such puzzles existing.

Marking it as duplicate, while linking to the 'generalised result' question, doesn't answer the OP's question. The question is what are the missing parameters x and y in the puzzle as he remembers it, while the link only shows how to solve such problems (in theory).

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