Three prisoners, A, B, and C, are held in separate cells. Two are to be executed. The warder knows specifically who is to be executed, and who is to be freed, whereas the prisoners know only that two are to be executed. Prisoner A reasons as follows: my probability of being freed is clearly until I receive further information. However, it is clear that at least one of B and C will be executed, so I will ask the warder to name one prisoner other than myself who is to be executed. Once I know which of B and C is to be executed, either I will go free or the other, unnamed, prisoner will go free, with equal probability. Hence, by asking the name of another prisoner to be executed, I raise my chances of survival from to. Investigate A's reasoning. [Hint: find the conditional probability that A is freed, given that the warder names B to be executed.]

MATLAB: An Introduction with Applications
6th Edition
ISBN:9781119256830
Author:Amos Gilat
Publisher:Amos Gilat
Chapter1: Starting With Matlab
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1P
icon
Related questions
Question
Three prisoners, A, B, and C, are held in separate cells. Two are to be executed. The warder knows
specifically who is to be executed, and who is to be freed, whereas the prisoners know only that two
are to be executed. Prisoner A reasons as follows: my probability of being freed is clearly until I
receive further information. However, it is clear that at least one of B and C will be executed, so I
will ask the warder to name one prisoner other than myself who is to be executed. Once I know which
of B and C is to be executed, either I will go free or the other, unnamed, prisoner will go free, with
equal probability. Hence, by asking the name of another prisoner to be executed, I raise my chances
of survival from to. Investigate A's reasoning. [Hint: find the conditional probability that A is
freed, given that the warder names B to be executed.]
Transcribed Image Text:Three prisoners, A, B, and C, are held in separate cells. Two are to be executed. The warder knows specifically who is to be executed, and who is to be freed, whereas the prisoners know only that two are to be executed. Prisoner A reasons as follows: my probability of being freed is clearly until I receive further information. However, it is clear that at least one of B and C will be executed, so I will ask the warder to name one prisoner other than myself who is to be executed. Once I know which of B and C is to be executed, either I will go free or the other, unnamed, prisoner will go free, with equal probability. Hence, by asking the name of another prisoner to be executed, I raise my chances of survival from to. Investigate A's reasoning. [Hint: find the conditional probability that A is freed, given that the warder names B to be executed.]
Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

Blurred answer
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
MATLAB: An Introduction with Applications
MATLAB: An Introduction with Applications
Statistics
ISBN:
9781119256830
Author:
Amos Gilat
Publisher:
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Probability and Statistics for Engineering and th…
Probability and Statistics for Engineering and th…
Statistics
ISBN:
9781305251809
Author:
Jay L. Devore
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Statistics for The Behavioral Sciences (MindTap C…
Statistics for The Behavioral Sciences (MindTap C…
Statistics
ISBN:
9781305504912
Author:
Frederick J Gravetter, Larry B. Wallnau
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World (7th E…
Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World (7th E…
Statistics
ISBN:
9780134683416
Author:
Ron Larson, Betsy Farber
Publisher:
PEARSON
The Basic Practice of Statistics
The Basic Practice of Statistics
Statistics
ISBN:
9781319042578
Author:
David S. Moore, William I. Notz, Michael A. Fligner
Publisher:
W. H. Freeman
Introduction to the Practice of Statistics
Introduction to the Practice of Statistics
Statistics
ISBN:
9781319013387
Author:
David S. Moore, George P. McCabe, Bruce A. Craig
Publisher:
W. H. Freeman