Unexpected Hanging Paradox

I came across a very interesting paradox. It goes like this (quoted from wiki):

A judge tells a condemned prisoner that he will be hanged at noon on one weekday in the following week but that the execution will be a surprise to the prisoner. He will not know the day of the hanging until the executioner knocks on his cell door at noon that day. Having reflected on his sentence, the prisoner draws the conclusion that he will escape from the hanging. His reasoning is in several parts. He begins by concluding that the "surprise hanging" can't be on Friday, as if he hasn't been hanged by Thursday, there is only one day left - and so it won't be a surprise if he's hanged on Friday. Since the judge's sentence stipulated that the hanging would be a surprise to him, he concludes it cannot occur on Friday. He then reasons that the surprise hanging cannot be on Thursday either, because Friday has already been eliminated and if he hasn't been hanged by Wednesday night, the hanging must occur on Thursday, making a Thursday hanging not a surprise either. By similar reasoning he concludes that the hanging can also not occur on Wednesday, Tuesday or Monday. Joyfully he retires to his cell confident that the hanging will not occur at all. The next week, the executioner knocks on the prisoner's door at noon on Wednesday — which, despite all the above, was an utter surprise to him. Everything the judge said came true.

Some say it's a paradox, some say it isn't. It's a logical problem.

Makes me think that maybe the universe is a paradox?

reply to post by Deaf Alien



the judge said he would hang him.


weather the person to be hung chooses that it is a surprise, or not, is up to them.



edit2: with further thought, its obvious to me that the person to be hung simply decided they wouldn't be surprised because they would be hung on- A, B, C, or D, etc. to make things simple.


i think the person to be hung, is foolish to assume that simply because they know they will die on one day or another, that it will not be a surprise, because they

(STILL EDITING)






because they assume that since they "know" that it would suddenly be impossible for the judge to still hang them just because they know something.



anything is possible and impossible at any and at no time, no matter what, never, and always.


i will be honest: i don't know if i will continue to live, or die. i just don't know.


peace.




edit again: now.... maybe if he somehow managed to Tell the judge, "hey judge, this that and therefor etc."

perhaps the judge would have a mental breakdown and the prisoners hanging would be forgotten?

reply to post by SoymilkAlaska


It's the paradox. Basically both can't be right.

Originally posted by Deaf Alien
reply to post by SoymilkAlaska

 

It's the paradox. Basically both can't be right.

i disagree.


my point is that it is not a paradox.


peace.

This is where it came from (during WW2):

"A CIVIL DEFENSE EXERCISE WILL BE HELD THIS WEEK. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CIVIL-DEFENSE UNITS ARE PROPERLY PREPARED, NO ONE WILL KNOW IN ADVANCE ON WHAT DAY THIS EXERCISE WILL TAKE PLACE."

Do you see what's wrong with this statement?

Originally posted by Deaf Alien
This is where it came from (during WW2):

"A CIVIL DEFENSE EXERCISE WILL BE HELD THIS WEEK. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CIVIL-DEFENSE UNITS ARE PROPERLY PREPARED, NO ONE WILL KNOW IN ADVANCE ON WHAT DAY THIS EXERCISE WILL TAKE PLACE."

Do you see what's wrong with this statement?

i promise im not trolling, but my brain is eating this up like candy right now...

im sorry.

if the above announcement was released to those expected to be surprised to see if they are ready or not, would they not prepare to not be unprepared that week in its entirety?


like a restaurant getting ready for a health inspector?

peace.

reply to post by SoymilkAlaska


LOL eat away. This is from wiki en.wikipedia.org...

That math guy basically noticed something wrong with that statement.

It cannot occur on Friday because nobody would be surprised that it would occur on Friday. And so on and on.

Originally posted by Deaf Alien
reply to post by SoymilkAlaska

 

LOL eat away. This is from wiki en.wikipedia.org...

That math guy basically noticed something wrong with that statement.

It cannot occur on Friday because nobody would be surprised that it would occur on Friday. And so on and on.

^_^ *hug*

Originally posted by Deaf Alien
reply to post by SoymilkAlaska

 

LOL eat away. This is from wiki en.wikipedia.org...

That math guy basically noticed something wrong with that statement.

It cannot occur on Friday because nobody would be surprised that it would occur on Friday. And so on and on.

It would be a surprise up until Friday.

If the judge tells the prisoner that he will be executed tomorrow and that it will be a surprise.

What do you think the prisoner's response be?

WTF?

reply to post by GmoS719

It would be a surprise up until Friday.

Have you read the prisoner's reasoning?

I remember coming across this "paradox" in one of my philosophy classes I think. The Wikipedia page does a decent job explaining the relevant objections: Unexpected hanging paradox

reply to post by Deaf Alien


This reminds me of the LSAT.

Not really a paradox though. The flaw is assuming that Thursday wouldn't be a suprise when it would be as come Thursday morning, both Thursday and Friday are in play. The paradox is a result of regressing when you can only be progressing.

reply to post by Deaf Alien


I don't really see this as a paradox , more of semantics time pass , waiting on death row .

Judge tells him , following week . He Has his window , and he gives him a time. Noon.

Would be no different if Judge said tommorw , but doesn't give him the time . Could be any hour surprise .

Or if he wants to play more semantics , he could say it could be within any minute(s) of the hour , and that would also be a surprise.


He knows he will die within a window time frame.

All you have to do is change the word surprised to , between, and everyone can sleep better at night :p

no paradox..

It's a logical paradox. It hasn't been resolved to this day.

reply to post by seedofchucky

Would be no different if Judge said tommorw , but doesn't give him the time . Could be any hour surprise .

The point is the prisoner wouldn't be surprised. Judge tells him that tomorrow he'll be executed any time tomorrow but the prisoner doesn't know when. But will any time be a surprise to him?

reply to post by Deaf Alien

Originally posted by Deaf Alien
It's a logical paradox. It hasn't been resolved to this day.

-_-



my reply's explain everythingggggggg

peace.

reply to post by Deaf Alien


Nobody expects THE SPANISH INQUISITION!

reply to post by chr0naut


LOL good one