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Old 12-17-2004, 10:37 PM  
chodadog
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,736
Quote:
Originally posted by SilverTab
indeed

See, this is where i think the problem is. You say "The host reveals B or C"

How can two seperate events be counted as one?

Nobody has adequately explained to me why that is.

I've gone through every possible combination of events in this problem and i wind up with a 50% chance of winning.

Outcome number 1:

Prize is in Box A.
Contestant chooses Box A.
Box C is removed.
Stays = Win
Switches = Lose

Outcome number 2:

Prize is in Box A.
Contestant chooses Box A.
Box B is removed.
Stays = Win
Switches = Lose

Outcome number 3:

Prize is in Box A.
Contestant chooses Box B.
Box C is removed.
Stays = Loses
Switches = Win

Outcome number 4:

Prize is in Box A.
Contestant chooses Box C.
Box B is removed.
Stays = Loses
Switches = Win

Nobody has explained to me why the first two outcomes together are somehow only as likely as one of the other outcomes?

Equinox kept posting the results from that C program that someone had written. I can't read programming for shit. My suspicion is that the person has also lumped the first 2 outcomes into a 1 in 3 chance instead of a 2 in 4 chance.

In the end, there are 4 possible outcomes regardless of what box is initially chosen. And out of those 4 outcomes, 2 will win when you stay, and 2 will win when you switch.
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