Related papers: Variations on the two-child problem
Ulam asked for the maximum number of questions required to determine an integer between one and one million by asking questions whose answer is `Yes' or `No' and where one untruthful answer is allowed. Pelc showed that the number of…
The union-closed sets conjecture (Frankl's conjecture) says that for any finite union-closed family of finite sets, other than the family consisting only of the empty set, there exists an element that belongs to at least half of the sets in…
In this paper, a simple explanation for the Goldbach Conjecture is given. We have shown that the probability of violating the conjecture not only for the prime numbers, but also for any subset of natural numbers whose distribution is…
We investigate some aspects of the problem of the estimation of birth distributions (BD) in multi-type Galton-Watson trees (MGW) with unobserved types. More precisely, we consider two-type MGW called spinal-structured trees. This kind of…
I argue that we must distinguish between: (0) the Three-Doors-Problem Problem [sic], which is to make sense of some real world question of a real person. (1) a large number of solutions to this meta-problem, i.e., many specific…
I report the existence of exactly one non-trivial solution to the equation $i(A,B)+i(A,\neg B)+i(\neg A,B)+i(\neg A,\neg B)= 0$, where $i(A,B)=\log\frac{P(A\text{ and }B)}{P(A)P(B)}$, and $P(A)$ is the probability of the proposition $A$.…
The following two decision problems capture the complexity of comparing integers or rationals that are succinctly represented in product-of-exponentials notation, or equivalently, via arithmetic circuits using only multiplication and…
To this day, the two-slit electron interference pattern remains shrouded in an inordinate mystery. It continues to defy a logical and rational explanation. This paper will postulate a new "characteristic" pertaining to the electron. If this…
The union-closed sets conjecture (Frankl's conjecture) says that for any finite union-closed family of finite sets, other than the family consisting only of the empty set, there exists an element that belongs to at least half of the sets in…
By creating a new method, the author proved the well-known world's baffling problems Goldbach conjecture, twin primes conjecture, the Proposition (C) and the Proposition $n^2+1$.
We address previous hypotheses about possible factors influencing the gender gap in attainment in physics. Specifically, previous studies claim that male advantage may arise from multiple-choice style questions, and that scaffolding may…
Since the mathematicians of ancient Greece until Fermat, since Gauss until today; the way how the primes along the numerical straight line are distributed has become perhaps the most difficult math problem; many people believe that their…
Given a set S of integers whose sum is zero, consider the problem of finding a permutation of these integers such that: (i) all prefix sums of the ordering are nonnegative, and (ii) the maximum value of a prefix sum is minimized. Kellerer…
The statistical physics approach to the number partioning problem, a classical NP-hard problem, is both simple and rewarding. Very basic notions and methods from statistical mechanics are enough to obtain analytical results for the phase…
We study the famous mathematical puzzle of prisoners and hats. We introduce a framework in which various variants of the problem can be formalized. We examine three particular versions of the problem (each one in fact a class of problems)…
Here, we present a variant of the sliding coins game. Two coins are placed on distinct squares of a semi-infinite linear board with squares numbered $0, 1, 2, dots, $. Two players take turns and move a coin to a lower unoccupied square.…
We analyze the main arguments that attempt to explain why there is no point in changing the envelope. Most people confuse estimation and calculation, conditional and unconditional probabilities, random and non-random variables, modelling…
This paper argues that, insofar as we doubt the bivalence of the Continuum Hypothesis or the truth of the Axiom of Choice, we should also doubt the consistency of third-order arithmetic, both the classical and intuitionistic versions.…
Pilz's conjecture states that for any finite set $A=\{a_1,a_2,\dots,a_k\}$ of positive integers and positive integer $n$ in the union of the sets $\{a_1,2a_1,\dots,na_1\},\dots, \{a_k,2a_k,\dots,na_k\}$ (considered as a multiset) at least…
Pick a sequence of uniform points on the $d$-dimensional sphere. Then, link the $n$th point to its closest one that arrives in the past. This constructs a labelled tree called the nearest neighbour tree on the $d$-dimensional sphere. These…