Solution:

Let us assume,
the radius of the river is R.
the speed of beast is S.
the speed of duck is S/4.
Circumference = 2 * Pi * R.

Now, if duck swims R/4 distance from the center of the river and then begins to swim across the river in center implies both duck and beast can take the round trip in same time.
Explanation :
time by beast : 2 * Pi* R * S
time by duck : 2 * Pi* R/4 * S/4 => 2 * Pi* R * S


Now, the duck can move slowly inward toward the center of the river, and begin swimming around the center in a circle from this distance. It is now going around a very slightly smaller circle than it was a moment ago, and thus will be able to swim around this circle FASTER than the beast can run around the shore.

The duck can keep swimming around this way, pulling further away each second, until finally it is on the opposite side of its inner circle from where the beast is on the shore. At this point, the duck aims directly toward the closest shore and begins swimming that way. At this point, the duck has to swim [0.75R feet + 1 millimeter] to get to shore. Meanwhile, the beast will have to run R*pi feet (half the circumference of the river) to get to where the duck is headed.
The beast runs four times as fast as the duck, but you can see that it has more than four times as far to run:

[0.75R feet + 1 millimeter] * 4 < R*pi

[This math could actually be incorrect if R were very small, but, in that case, we could just say the duck swam inward even less than a millimeter and make the math work out correctly.]

Because the duck has less than a fourth of the distance to travel as the beast, it will reach the shore before the beast reaches where it is and successfully escape.

Solution:

In the picture you can find the green matchsticks. We have moved them from the bottom and placed them in the middle. It was a bit tricky but now you have your desired result.

Solution:

3/7

Explanation:
If a 31day month starts on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday it will have five Sunday, if not it will have 4 Sunday.

Solution:

Read the question carefully again. New Year do falls after Christmas but that happens if two different years. The question is put up against the year 2050 and thus there will be 51 weeks and 2 days in between them as New Year will appear on 1 January 2050 and Christmas will happen on 25 December 2050.

Solution:

8/(1−1/5)

Solution:

Playing chess

Game needs two players so Brother-8 is playing chess with Brother-2

Solution:

Step 5 is invalid, because we are dividing by (x-y), and since x=y, we are thus dividing by 0. This is an invalid mathematical operation (division by 0), and so by not following basic mathematical rules

Solution:

Both 3 and 4th

Explanation:
- The water in tank1 will get filled up to the connectivity of tank1 and the tank2 and then it will start flowing to tank2.
- The water in tank2 will get filled up to the connectivity of tank2 and the -tank3 and then it will start flowing to tank3.
- The water in tank3 will get filled up to the connectivity of tank2 and the tank3 and then it will start flowing to tank3.
- As the outlet of tank3 and inlet of tank4 are not at the same level, water will continue to fill tank3 till the inlet of tank4.
- Now both the tank3 and tank4 fill simultaneously until both fill together.

Solution:

One of the cop will move clockwise while the other will move anti-clockwise every day. In such a manner, they will catch the thief in minimum seven days.

Solution:

A
D
C
A
B

Solution:

He should shoot at the ground.

If Kangwa shoots the ground, it is Rafael's turn. Rafael would rather shoot at Ferdinand than Kangwa, because he is better.
If Rafael kills Ferdinand, it is just Kangwa and Rafael left, giving Kangwa a fair chance of winning.
If Rafael does not kill Ferdinand, it is Ferdinand's turn. He would rather shoot at Rafael and will definitely kill him. Even though it is now Kangwa against Ferdinand, Kangwa has a better chance of winning than before.