Settle a dispute?

The computer can only calculate what has been told.

Half is represented as 1/2

You just put in 1/2 into the equation, as it is presented.
 
Last edited:
whilst on this silly maths argument, i hope it isnt derailing but i dont want to start a thread on another silly maths argument.

but apparently....

if there are 3 cups, one is full of gold and i have to pick one.... there is a 1 in 3 chance i get the gold.

i choose a cup.

then someone comes and removes one of the other cups and says, that cup did not have the gold, thus leaving 2 cups.

i am then given the choice, do i want to keep your cup or swap with the one on the table still.

I am told, with absolute certainty that mathematically i should swap cups to have the best chance of winning.. however i cannot get the reasoning why straight in my head.
 
Last edited:
The answer to the question worded the deliberately unusual way is 430, but 130 the way the vast majority of people would hear it if said in natural conversation. Of course, this excludes people who would say "LOL DO U ACKSHULLLLLY MEAN DIVIDE BY 0.5 BWAHAHAHAH SIMPLETON" to someone that says divide by half.
 
bigmike20vt said:
whilst on this silly maths argument, i hope it isnt derailing but i dont want to start a thread on another silly maths argument.

but apparently....

its there are 3 cups, one is full of gold and i have to pick one.... there is a 1 in 3 chance i get the gold.

you choose a cup.

then someone comes and removes one of the other cups and says, that cup did not have the gold, thus leaving 2 cups.

you are then given the choice, do you want to keep your cup or swap with the one on the table still.

I am told, with absolute certainty that mathematically you should swap cups to have the best chance of winning.. however i cannot get the reasoning why straight in my head.
Click to expand...

You swap, because you increase your probability from 1/3rd to 1/2 now.

When you first picked a cup, it was 1/3rd.

But if you pick again, it is now 50/50. If you stick with the original decision, you stick with the original probability.
 
Last edited:
bigmike20vt said:
whilst on this silly maths argument, i hope it isnt derailing but i dont want to start a thread on another silly maths argument.

but apparently....

if there are 3 cups, one is full of gold and i have to pick one.... there is a 1 in 3 chance i get the gold.

i choose a cup.

then someone comes and removes one of the other cups and says, that cup did not have the gold, thus leaving 2 cups.

i am then given the choice, do i want to keep your cup or swap with the one on the table still.

I am told, with absolute certainty that mathematically i should swap cups to have the best chance of winning.. however i cannot get the reasoning why straight in my head.
Click to expand...
It's because the cup removed always isn't the gold one, which means the odds are changed. It doesn't increase your odds of having picked it initially, but your initial odds were 1 in 3 and now your odds are 1 in 2.
 
Raymond Lin said:
You swap, because you increase your probability from 1/3rd to 1/2 now.

When you first picked a cup, it was 1/3rd.

But if you pick again, it is now 50/50. If you stick with the original decision, you stick with the original probability.
Click to expand...
which i know is the correct answer. but practically it does not grok somehow with me.... maybe i need to get some cups and practical it out

edit... actually i think the penny has finally dropped!. :) thanks.
 
Last edited:
200sols said:
Who knew Raymond Lin was so passionate about grammatical mathematics.
Click to expand...
It would help if he was right, but he isn't, and he mixes up his own grammar as well. He will happily read 'divide by half' and assume that means divide by 0.5, but will also ensure the use of qualifiers for other fractions eg 'a' third or 'a' quarter.

I'll say it again.

Divide by half is not valid as a sentence. It doesn't mean divide in half, and it doesn't mean divide by 0.5.
 
Raymond Lin said:
The computer can only calculate what has been told.

Half is represented as 1/2

You just put in 1/2 into the equation, as it is presented.
Click to expand...
Half can be represented as 100/200 too. Not sure your point lol. Other than some unwritten rule where half is 0.5. Unless you are thinking of percentages in which case windows calculator 200 / 50% = 4.
 
Zefan said:
The answer to the question worded the deliberately unusual way is 430, but 130 the way the vast majority of people would hear it if said in natural conversation
Click to expand...
in my case i genuinely saw only 430... indeed when i 1st read the OP i was struggling to think of what other answer it could be!.... Though i also concluded it was written incorrectly so there is that i guess.... but i do not believe anyone is stupid regardless of their answer.

using a double negative as a negative however................................
 
Last edited:
Maccy said:
Thread of the year right here.
Click to expand...
the thread actually sums up (excuse the pun) GD quite well. you've got an op that is open to interpretation but then you've got a couple of folk who just won't accept that and will argue now for days that their position is correct and any one disagreeing with them is stupid.
 
So what Alan Freeman said his famous catch phrase "Not Half!" He was actually saying "False!", since the arithmetic operator NOT can only used in logic equations, for what 0.5 would not be a valid number, and would give the value "FALSE" by default. So basically, whatever song he had just played and he said "Not half!", he was rudely passing judgement every time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom