Looking at the portrait of a girl, Sheesha says, "Her mother is my grandfather only daughter, who has only one daughter and no sons." How is Sheesha related to the girl in the portrait?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Sheesha is the girl in the portrait

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question is about understanding a self referential description. Sheesha is looking at a portrait and describes the girl mother using information about her own grandfather and his only daughter. You must determine how Sheesha is related to the girl in the portrait.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Sheesha is speaking while looking at the portrait of a girl.
  • She says, "Her mother is my grandfather only daughter, who has only one daughter and no sons."
  • Sheesha has a grandfather who has exactly one daughter.
  • That only daughter has exactly one daughter and no sons.
  • We assume standard family structure and that the only daughter of a grandfather is the mother in the next generation.


Concept / Approach:
The description "my grandfather only daughter" refers to a unique person. As Sheesha is describing her own grandfather, his only daughter must be Sheesha mother. Then the clause "who has only one daughter and no sons" restricts Sheesha mother children. If she has only one daughter, that one daughter must be Sheesha. Since the girl in the portrait has this woman as her mother, the only consistent conclusion is that the portrait is of Sheesha herself.



Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: "My grandfather only daughter" means the grandfather has exactly one daughter. That daughter is in the generation between the grandfather and Sheesha.Step 2: Since Sheesha is a granddaughter of this man, the only daughter of the grandfather is most naturally Sheesha mother.Step 3: The sentence continues with "who has only one daughter and no sons". This describes the children of that only daughter, that is, the children of Sheesha mother.Step 4: If Sheesha mother has only one daughter, and Sheesha is that daughter, then Sheesha is the only daughter of her mother.Step 5: The girl in the portrait is said to have that woman as her mother, the same "only daughter of my grandfather" who has a single daughter.Step 6: Since this mother has only one daughter, any girl whose mother is that woman must be that same only daughter.Step 7: Therefore, the girl in the portrait is the only daughter of that mother and must be Sheesha herself.


Verification / Alternative check:
Suppose the grandfather is named Gopal and his only daughter is Meena, who is Sheesha mother. Meena has exactly one daughter, Sheesha, and no sons. Now consider a portrait of a girl whose mother is Meena. Since Meena has only one daughter, that daughter must be Sheesha. There is no room in this description for any other daughter. Thus the portrait must be of Sheesha.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The girl in the portrait cannot be Sheesha sister, because the mother is said to have only one daughter. She cannot be Sheesha niece, cousin or aunt, since that would require the mother to have another daughter or to belong to a different branch of the family. Sister and aunt both contradict the "only one daughter" condition for the mother. Therefore, the only possibility is that Sheesha and the girl are the same person.



Common Pitfalls:
One common confusion is to overlook the phrase "only one daughter and no sons" and assume there could be multiple daughters or other female relatives. Another is to misread "my grandfather only daughter" as referring to someone else in the extended family. Careful attention to the word only at both levels of the description is the key to solving the puzzle.



Final Answer:
Sheesha is the girl in the portrait.

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