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Three Curtains

rstrats

Advanced Poster
You are a contestant on a game show. There are three curtains. Behind one of the curtains is a new car. You are asked to choose one of the curtains. Lets say that you choose curtain #1. The host of the show - who knows where the car is so as not to end the game prematurely - opens curtain #3 and of course there is no car behind it. The host now gives you a choice. You can stay with curtain #1 or you can change your choice to curtain #2. The question now is: would it be to your advantage to stay with curtain #1, or would it be to your advantage to change to curtain #2 or would there be no advantage either way?
 

CTZonEdit

Site Administrator
Staff member
The only person with the advantage is the host since he knows where that car is.

You didn't have advantage in this game to begin with and this revelation didn't gain you anything.
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CTZonEdit,

re: "The only person with the advantage is the host..."



What would you do it after your inititial pick of curtain #1, and before any curtain was opened, the host told you that you could change your pick from curtain #1 to BOTH curtains #2 and #3?
 

CTZonEdit

Site Administrator
Staff member
That doesn't change the "advantage". There is no advantage for the one choosing in this particular "game" its blind luck regardless.
So why would it be to my advantage (something I never had to begin with) to change my blind luck guess to another blind luck guess?
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CTZ,
re: "So why would it be to my advantage (something I never had to begin with) to change my blind luck guess to another blind luck guess?"

Because having 2 curtains to look behind is better than having only 1 curtain to look behind.
 

CTZonEdit

Site Administrator
Staff member
I still don't have any real advantage.
Opening 2 curtains at once only ends the game faster.
 

CoreIssue

Administrator
Staff member
I agree with CTZ.

Games are not always about math. There is psychology involved as well.

So, is the game show host trying to persuade you away from curtain 1, where the car is, or trying to keep you on curtain 1, where it is not?

Any way you look at it, it is a roll of the dice.
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CoreIssue,
re: "So, is the game show host trying to persuade you away from curtain 1, where the car is, or trying to keep you on curtain 1, where it is not?"

The host is not trying to influence you in anyway. So with that in mind, let me ask again - What would you do it after your inititial pick of curtain #1, and before any curtain was opened, the host told you that you could change your pick from curtain #1 to BOTH curtains #2 and #3?
 
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rstrats

Advanced Poster
CTZ,
re: "I still don't have any real advantage."

I don't understand why you think that having 2 curtains instead of just 1 isn't an advantage. You would double your odds from 1/3rd to 2/3rds.
 

CoreIssue

Administrator
Staff member
You just added a qualifier that you did not state before. In other words, you are changing the rules.
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CoreIssue,
re: "You just added a qualifier that you did not state before. In other words, you are changing the rules"

OK, so what would you do? Stay with #1 or change to both #2 and #3?
 

CoreIssue

Administrator
Staff member
Let someone else jump in. Could be wrong, but it seems you are pushing this too hard on this one for some reason.
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CoreIssue,
re: " ...it seems you are pushing this too hard on this one for some reason."

I'm simply asking a question which for some reason you seem to not want to answer.
 

CTZonEdit

Site Administrator
Staff member
You keep pushing that I have some advantage in this game. I will never have the advantage. Greater odds don't give me any advantage over a host that knows exactly where the car is at all times.

I had no advantage to begin with because the host knows exactly where the car is and I do not and never will know until the one with the car behind it is revealed.
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CTZ,
re: "You keep pushing that I have some advantage in this game."

Because you do . You increase your odds from 1/3rd to 2/3rds if you switch when given the chance.



re: "I had no advantage to begin with..."

That is true. To use CoreIssue's phrase, your first pick is 'a roll of the dice'.



re: "Greater odds don't give me any advantage over a host that knows exactly where the car is at all times."

The only thing that is affected by the knowledge of the host is the prevention of a premature ending of the game before you are given the chance to switch.

Look at it this way (and remember, the host is not trying to influence you in any way): Think of it as two areas. Area "A" contains curtain #1 and area "B" contains curtains #2 and #3. There is a 1/3rd chance that the car is in area "A" and a 2/3rds chance that it is in area "B". Before opening any curtains, you KNOW that at least one of the curtains in area "B" doesn't have the car behind it. So by the host knowingly opening a curtain in area "B" that doesn't have a car behind it doesn't change the 2/3rds odds that area "B"still has a car in it. So it is to your advantage to switch to area "B".
 

CTZonEdit

Site Administrator
Staff member
Increasing my odds of winning is not an advantage over a host that knows where the car is at all times.

Increasing odds does not equal advantage.

My odds of winning may have increased but my advantage over a host that knows where the car is at all times never ever will.
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
CTZ,
re: "My odds of winning may have increased but my advantage over a host that knows where the car is at all times never ever will."


Can you explain how the host knowing where the car is prevents you from winning the car?
 

rstrats

Advanced Poster
It's a logic question and not a trick question. And the point is simply to stretch one's mind in solving a problem.
 

CoreIssue

Administrator
Staff member
That is not what we are looking at. The way you are pushing it strongly suggests you would try to tie the answer you are fishing for into an issue you have posted on in another thread

Your effort here strongly resembles your efforts there..
 
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