Talk:Five pirates: Difference between revisions
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Created page with 'Based on comparisons with other versions that I can find online, I believe "''If more than half of the pirates accept the proposal''" should read "''If at least half of the pirat...' |
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== Error or variation? == | |||
Based on comparisons with other versions that I can find online, I believe "''If more than half of the pirates accept the proposal''" should read "''If at least half of the pirates accept the proposal''". | Based on comparisons with other versions that I can find online, I believe "''If more than half of the pirates accept the proposal''" should read "''If at least half of the pirates accept the proposal''". | ||
This is a serious issue, as the puzzle depends critically upon what happens when exactly 50% of pirates accept a proposal. Is it an error, or a variation? | This is a serious issue, as the puzzle depends critically upon what happens when exactly 50% of pirates accept a proposal. Is it an error, or a variation? | ||
: It is a variation. The [[Forty thieves]] puzzle uses "at least half" and as such is considerably easier to solve. [[User:Oscarlevin|Oscarlevin]] 13:09, 14 October 2010 (EDT) | |||
:: OK. To fill in some background here, I came up with a solution (I think), but I had to make an assumption (namely that a pirate will always let another pirate live if there's no financial gain from having them killed) which I felt wasn't in character and thus felt unsatisfied with it. So later I looked online to see if I was right and only found versions with "at least half". [[User:Zerrakhi|Zerrakhi]] 09:49, 17 October 2010 (EDT) | |||
Current revision as of 06:49, 17 October 2010
Error or variation?
Based on comparisons with other versions that I can find online, I believe "If more than half of the pirates accept the proposal" should read "If at least half of the pirates accept the proposal".
This is a serious issue, as the puzzle depends critically upon what happens when exactly 50% of pirates accept a proposal. Is it an error, or a variation?
- It is a variation. The Forty thieves puzzle uses "at least half" and as such is considerably easier to solve. Oscarlevin 13:09, 14 October 2010 (EDT)
- OK. To fill in some background here, I came up with a solution (I think), but I had to make an assumption (namely that a pirate will always let another pirate live if there's no financial gain from having them killed) which I felt wasn't in character and thus felt unsatisfied with it. So later I looked online to see if I was right and only found versions with "at least half". Zerrakhi 09:49, 17 October 2010 (EDT)