A brain teasing probability puzzle

khalid

Unelected Mod
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Araysar be trollin. It is a hard concept to grasp for some, but if you don't believe the simulator you are either trolling or obstinate.
 

Loser Araysar

Chief Russia Correspondent / Stock Pals CEO
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???? The simulator is the same as you doing it manually. If you don't believe it still then do it physically with 2 red playing cards and a black playing card with sufficient iterations the number will converge to 66%.
it doesnt matter whether you're doing it with cards, coins, simulators, etc.

it all works off the wrong premise.
 

Loser Araysar

Chief Russia Correspondent / Stock Pals CEO
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Araysar be trollin. It is a hard concept to grasp for some, but if you don't believe the simulator you are either trolling or obstinate.
the simulator is accurate but that is because it incorporates the first choice as if it meant something, but its working off a wrong premise.

it doesnt. the first choice is meaningless because in no way does it affect the options presented to you in second choice. it is all pure theater.


your final choice is always 50/50 and thats the only real choice thats presented to you. the first choice is meaningless.
 

Hachima

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The easy way to think about it for me is you have a 2/3 chance of picking a goat. If you pick a goat, the host has to show you the other goat. This means switching is a guaranteed win if you pick a goat. So by switching your odds are based on the 2/3 chance of picking a goat.
 

Loser Araysar

Chief Russia Correspondent / Stock Pals CEO
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The easy way to think about it for me is you have a 2/3 chance of picking a goat. If you pick a goat, the host has to show you the other goat. This means switching is a guaranteed win if you pick a goat. So by switching your odds are based on the 2/3 chance of picking a goat.
how is that easy? your first choice means nothing because your second set of choices (REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU PICK) is always the same:

1. door you picked (unknown)
2. door (unknown)
3. door with goat that host opened

regardless of what you pick the first time, the set of options above is always your ONLY choice for your second choice. your first choice is purely meaningless. and the second set of options presents you with 50/50
 

McCheese

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Araysar be trollin. It is a hard concept to grasp for some, but if you don't believe the simulator you are either trolling or obstinate.
They probably don't have statistics in Chechnya so it's a difficult concept for him.
 

Tuco

I got Tuco'd!
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Araysar once you accept that you're wrong you can start on the path of enlightenment and follow in the footsteps of Merlin.
 

Tea_sl

shitlord
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The chance of picking the car is 1/3.
The host eliminates a goat.
You don't switch.
The chance that you picked the car remains the same - 1/3.

It's not an independent event. The way you're looking at it the doors are randomized again.
 

The Master

Bronze Squire
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Your first choice matters because what you already picked is still on the table. You either picked the goat or the car on your first pick. You cannot possibly argue that you didn't pick either a goat or the car. If you picked a goat, switching wins. If you did not pick a goat, switching loses. But the odds of picking a goat are 2/3. It isn't a new pick, it is switch or don't switch from your your first pick. Your first choice is included in the problem.
 

khalid

Unelected Mod
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Russians are supposed to be good at math.
frown.png
 

McCheese

SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
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Russians are supposed to be good at math.
frown.png
Where'd you hear that? There's a reason their nuclear power plants, submarines, spaceships, and anything else requiring more than high school algebra have routinely exploded.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
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I took Probability for Engineers last year and this was the first problem we went over. I won't keep you in suspense, I got a B-. I DONT KNOW THE FUCKING ANSWER
 

Lejina

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
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Honestly I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept and was with Araysar: you guys are all fucking crazy.

However, I got around to visualize the concept with that bit from the wiki.

Yes; you should switch. The first door has a 1/3 chance of winning, but the second door has a 2/3 chance. Here's a good way to visualize what happened. Suppose there are a million doors, and you pick door #1. Then the host, who knows what's behind the doors and will always avoid the one with the prize, opens them all except door #777,777. You'd switch to that door pretty fast, wouldn't you?
 

OneofOne

Silver Baronet of the Realm
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It's ironic that the voting on this poll is very close to 66/33 split, which is the probability split of winning if you switch.
I choose to switch my answer. Cause I was just trolling ya'll bro!11!!!

=/

Damn fine piece of statistical trivia though!
 

Lejina

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In this thread we will find out who has done maths in college and who has a liberal arts degree
Well, I didn't do statistics since I did my BSc but I have to do a fair amount rearranging of formulas on a regular basis at work. So yeah, whatever about the art degree.

The whole thing is more of a gotcha than an actual test if you can do math gud. Unless you know the trick already or just happen to have been thru an example during a stat class, the instinct is to say the odds are down to 50/50 once you take out a bad door.
 

Dabamf_sl

shitlord
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The wording of the problem is stupid because it doesn't say "the host will always pick a goat." That's important and the reason I, and probably lots of others, misconceptualized it.

how is that easy? your first choice means nothing because your second set of choices (REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU PICK) is always the same:

1. door you picked (unknown)
2. door (unknown)
3. door with goat that host opened

regardless of what you pick the first time, the set of options above is always your ONLY choice for your second choice. your first choice is purely meaningless. and the second set of options presents you with 50/50
The second set of choices is not always the same.

Scenarios of switching, assuming you always pick A first (because the first choice is meaningless)
A is car, B/C are goats. You switch and lose (1/3 time)
A is goat, B is car, C is goat. Host shows C (he's forced to, it's the only goat option), you switch to B, you win (1/3 of the time)
A is goat, B is goat, C is car. Host shows B (he's forced to, it's the only goat option), you switch to C, you win (1/3 of the time)
Win 2/3, lose 1/3

Scenarios of not switching
A is car, you win
B is car, you lose
C is car, you lose
Win 1/3, lose 2/3
 

Downhammer

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In a true monty hall problem you would increase your odds by switching. What the OP presented is not technically a monty hall though. No where does he state that the host will only open a $1 box. He states that the host knows what's inside the box and that he opens a box, two unrelated statements. Your odds of winning improve only if the host "knows what's inside the boxes" AND "opens another boxthat contains $1" As stated it's just dumb luck the host didn't reveal $100,000 by opening box 3.

Imagine you are on a game show with only three sealed red boxes.

The three cash prizes are $1, $1 and $100,000. You pick a box, let's say box two.

The host, who knows what's inside the boxes, opens another box, say box three and then tempts you with an offer. Box three is opened in front of you revealing a $1 prize, and he offers you the chance to change your mind to choose box one. Does switching improve your chances of winning the $100,000?