How does knowing the second number establish the range ? Is there any work on this.
Sarbajit On Thu, Jun 9, 2011 at 1:15 AM, Russ Abbott <[email protected]> wrote: > Russell Standish has the right idea. If you knew the range, say the first > number is higher/lower than the third depending on whether the first numbers > is greater than or less than the middle of the range. Since you don't know > the range, the second random number is used instead. Say higher/lower > depending on whether the first number is higher/lower than the second. > > Also, think about it this way. If the middle number is either greater than > or less than both the first and the third, you have a 50% chance of being > right. If it's between the first and the third, the strategy described will > always be right. Presumably there is a non-zero probability that the second > number will be between the first and the third. Therefore one has a greater > than 50% chance of being right. > > *-- Russ * > > > On Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 10:06 AM, Owen Densmore <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Do you have a pointer to an explanation? >> >> -- Owen >> >> On Jun 8, 2011, at 12:11 AM, Russ Abbott wrote: >> >> > Although this isn't new, I just came across it (perhaps again) and was >> so enchanted that I wanted to share it. >> > >> > Generate but don't look at three random numbers. (Have someone ensure >> that they are distinct. There is no constraint on the range.) Look at the >> first two. You are now able to guess with a better than 50% chance of being >> right whether the first number is larger than the unseen third. >> > >> > I like this almost as much as the Monte Hall problem. >> > >> > -- Russ >> > >> > ============================================================ >> > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >> >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >> > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
