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[DEVIL4POSTER WANTED $55 Outlaw]

1/4

[stony WANTED $28 Outlaw]

100%

[Ha Hacko1 WANTED $181 Outlaw]

I’d advise people to read the question properly.

[DEVIL4POSTER WANTED $55 Outlaw]

DEVIL4POSTER wrote:

1/4

There is no question shown so who is to say the answer isn’t specifically identifed by the letter and bracket as well as the percentage i>e A) 25% and D) 25% are different so I stand by my guess of 1/4

[Quazzi WANTED $149 Outlaw]

The answers 0.

The end.

[Quazzi WANTED $149 Outlaw]

Also this..

This is a fun question whose paradoxical, self-referential nature quickly reveals itself – A) seems to be fine until one realizes the D) option is also 25%.

A quick search reveals hundreds of discussion contributions of this problem, for example here and here and from a year ago. People often appear very confident that their answer is the only possible solution.

I am no logician and so unqualified to place this within the grand structures of mathematical paradoxes. I have not waded through all the discussions and so there may be something I have missed, but in among all the arguments there seem to be four conclusions that could be considered as ‘correct’. These are my personal comments:

1) There can be no solution, since the ambiguity of ‘correct’ makes the question ill-posed.

It’s true the question is ambiguous, but this still seems a bit of a cop-out.

2) There is no solution.

This seems to take this interpretation of the question.

Which answer (or set of answers) of “p%”, is such that the statement ‘the probability of picking such an answer is p%’ is true?

Then this appears to be a well-posed question, but there is no solution.

3) 0%.

Consider a different interpretation of the question.

Is there a p%, such that the statement ‘the probability of picking an answer “p%” is p%’ is true?

Then this appears a well-posed question and has the solution p = 0, even though this is not one of the answers. Of course if answer C) were changed to “0%” (as it is in this 2007 version of the question ), then this would also have no solution.

4) We can produce any answer we want by changing the probability distribution for the choice.

Why should ‘random’ mean an equally likely chance of picking the 4 answers? If we, say, assume the probabilities of choosing (A) (B) (C) (D) to be (10%, 20%, 60%, 10%) then the answer to either formulation (2) and (3) is now “60%”. But if we make the distribution (12.5%, 15%, 60%, 12.5%) then we seem to back to square one again, since there is now both a 25% chance of picking “25%”, and a 60% chance of picking “60%”.

I like conclusion 3) best, ie 0%.

Maybe the main lesson is: ambiguity and paradox are often the basis for a good joke.

Also the end.
Credit google 😉

[Malkychamp WANTED $486 Outlaw]

Quazzi wrote:

Also this..

This is a fun question whose paradoxical, self-referential nature quickly reveals itself – A) seems to be fine until one realizes the D) option is also 25%.

A quick search reveals hundreds of discussion contributions of this problem, for example here and here and from a year ago. People often appear very confident that their answer is the only possible solution.

I am no logician and so unqualified to place this within the grand structures of mathematical paradoxes. I have not waded through all the discussions and so there may be something I have missed, but in among all the arguments there seem to be four conclusions that could be considered as ‘correct’. These are my personal comments:

1) There can be no solution, since the ambiguity of ‘correct’ makes the question ill-posed.

It’s true the question is ambiguous, but this still seems a bit of a cop-out.

2) There is no solution.

This seems to take this interpretation of the question.

Which answer (or set of answers) of “p%”, is such that the statement ‘the probability of picking such an answer is p%’ is true?

Then this appears to be a well-posed question, but there is no solution.

3) 0%.

Consider a different interpretation of the question.

Is there a p%, such that the statement ‘the probability of picking an answer “p%” is p%’ is true?

Then this appears a well-posed question and has the solution p = 0, even though this is not one of the answers. Of course if answer C) were changed to “0%” (as it is in this 2007 version of the question ), then this would also have no solution.

4) We can produce any answer we want by changing the probability distribution for the choice.

Why should ‘random’ mean an equally likely chance of picking the 4 answers? If we, say, assume the probabilities of choosing (A) (B) (C) (D) to be (10%, 20%, 60%, 10%) then the answer to either formulation (2) and (3) is now “60%”. But if we make the distribution (12.5%, 15%, 60%, 12.5%) then we seem to back to square one again, since there is now both a 25% chance of picking “25%”, and a 60% chance of picking “60%”.

I like conclusion 3) best, ie 0%.

Maybe the main lesson is: ambiguity and paradox are often the basis for a good joke.

Also the end. Credit google

You need a bazinga t-shirt sir ?

I will continue playing with my rubber duck ??

[Haz40 WANTED $1,167 Outlaw]

With the hangover I’ve had today there was no way i was going to get involved in this thread and tax my brain. It would of hurt far too much. ??

[ar argyl53 WANTED $419 Outlaw]

Mr B wrote:

Rest assured, there is no paradox.

It can indeed be a paradox depending on interpretation of the question, namely the (reasonable) assumption that as a multiple choice question, the intention is that one of the three listed answers is correct. If you interpret otherwise (that it could have a correct answer which is not listed, or start making different assumptions about what “random” means in respect of how someone chooses an answer, for example) then you can remove the paradox angle but you are only left with the answer being you have zero percent chance. Your chance can be 0, 1 in 3 or the question can be interpreted as a paradox. As a multiple choice question, you can only answer “none of the listed answers are correct”.

[Mr Mr B WANTED $395 Blocked]

Ok, the answer. Paradox (loop) destroyed on the second guess.

Firstly, the question has no room for negotiation therefore can only be interpreted one way. Sure, mistaken readers exist but that doesn’t change the grounds of the question. You must choose at random and you must suppose the answer.

Here’s a tip. To make it truly random, even though you know what answers are there, you can hypothetically cover the numbers up as if you don’t know what answers are there. Once you have then chosen an answer, now is a simple time to realise what the answer also should be.

4 answers, all unknown, 25% chance of being correct. Well, not quite. Of course, it depends what answers are given. using common denominators we can see there is only 3 possible answers. This “3” is where the 33.3% mistake comes from, for some people but if so, is actually both wrong and irrelevant. Look :

4 answers all showing 100%
2 answers showing 50% and 2 answers showing anything else
1 answer showing 25% and 3 answers showing anything else

Now uncover the answers. This removes any (some have referred to referential loop or schroedingers cat) paradox, before a second loop simply by working out exactly what the answers could be after guaranteeing a total random state. It’s not negotiable.

it is in fact simply a trick question obviously designed to get people thinking.

[Mr Mr B WANTED $395 Blocked]

@mods put the edit feature back

So the correct answer is with the given answers, your chance of  randomly choosing the correct answer, is zero (%).

[Quazzi WANTED $149 Outlaw]

You have waaay too much time on your hands haha

More importantly, who wins the golden goose?

[Dynamik23 WANTED $82 Outlaw]

I choose the answer to the question? So I choose at random…… 23%. Am I wrong?

[Mr Mr B WANTED $395 Blocked]

Dynamik23 wrote:

I choose the answer to the question? So I choose at random…… 23%. Am I wrong?

I’m afraid so.

[Seedy WANTED $1,244 Sheriff]

@Mr-B Why the edit feature has gone is being looked into.

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