Are the Genealogies of Genesis Open or Closed?

Introduction:
The problem of deciphering the genealogies in Genesis is one that has been plaguing Christians for hundreds of years. The major issue concerning the text is whether we can use the chronologies to date certain events in the Old Testament. Many people are curious about the dates for important events such as creation and Noah's flood. Christians want to better understand their Bible and therefore better understand the timeline of events mentioned in Scripture. The unlocking of such dates depends on the question at hand. It should first be explained what open and closed genealogies are. A closed genealogy is one that has no gaps in it whatsoever. A closed genealogy would not leave out anyone in a certain line of descent. Open genealogies however have gaps, usually because the person compiling the genealogy decided some names were unimportant or there were just too many people to document. If a genealogy is open, it still can give an accurate line of descent but it is not as thorough as a closed genealogy.