Please disregard previous post. The b and c cases were inverted.
Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
Stathis Papaioannou writes:
If on the basis of a coin toss the world splits, and in one branch I
am instantaneously killed while in the other I continue living, there
are several possible ways this might be interpreted from the 1st
person viewpoint:
(a) Pr(I live) = Pr(I die) = 0.5
(b) Pr(I live) = 1, Pr(I die) = 0
(c) Pr(I live) = 0, Pr(I die) = 1
Your example underscores the need for interpreting Pr as a relative
concept ( this is my favorite point of view):
b) is A observing A. It is seen through the first person A who is
killed in one branch and live in another branch. This is called the
first person on this list.
a) is B observing A: It is seen through a first person B who witnesses
the event hapenning to A but lives in both branches. His point of view
is called the third person on this list:
c) is C observing A. It is seen through a first person C who
experiences the complement events of A. He lives when A dies and vice
versa. The probability that he will see A live is 0. We do not have a
name for this point of view on this list but I could suggest "the
complement first person."
Thus all answers are correct depending on your relative point of view.
George
