[nerdyplayer]

.... how did we get 4 pages?

[MacFalic]

Children, children, calm down! Whether or not you are children, you are arguing as such.

DmitryMakovetskiy, I call you out specifically because you were the first to use "name calling" to insult(chimp.)

I suggest those of you arguing to read the following links. Conclude with the last as it helps to narrow down the field. Either way, DmitryMakovetskiy's answer is definitely one of the least given or supportable.

https://plus.google.com/116264189418994838408/posts/CSXeyftovTJ
http://kelloggsville.blogspot.com/2012/01/if-you-choose-answer-to-this-question.html
http://www.quora.com/If-you-choose-an-answer-to-this-question-at-random-what-is-the-chance-you-will-be-correct-A-25-B-50-C-60-D-25
http://deals.woot.com/questions/details/d49fce1f-ccfd-477f-84bd-c6995a304afc/who-wants-to-have-their-brain-explode-from-a-probability-problem
http://understandinguncertainty.org/probability-paradox

Have fun, not really accomplish-able while angrily arguing.

[Gandolph13]

I refuse to answer, I guess I fail the test!

[wrt54gs7]

You have two choices of getting 25% that makes 50%, another choice of making 50% and another choice of 60%. That leaves us with 3 choices two 50% and one 60%, 2/3 = 66.66% chance of being correct (60% would be the answer). Crazy solution.

But let us rephrase the question. I have 4 identical boxes one of them contains cookies. What are the chances you would will find the cookie if you pick only once box at random? I'm assuming it would be 1/4 * 100 = 25% right?

[nivenj]

Quote: Originally Posted by DmitryMakovetskiy

25% is the correct answer... what are you on about, Shin?!!?

Quote: Originally Posted by DmitryMakovetskiy

B is the answer. because , at random you can get 25% two times. Therefore, as 2 answers are the same.. it is 50% and 50% to be right or wrong. The answer is 50%..

Damn..people on this site are confused by maths too easily. The answer is B.

Here is another easy example.

Whats the chance of getting the correct answer?

1) Cow
2) "The correct answer is 50%"
3) Dog
4) Cow

50% to get cow and 50% to get the rest. The correct answer is 2...

Quote: Originally Posted by DmitryMakovetskiy

Thats right see my update. To get 'B' is a 25% , so again, there are two answers A and D..and it is again 50%..

lol..the question runs in your head in a loop..but the correct answer is B.

Our brain iterates over the solution..thats why it is a kind of an illusion like nich said. But the answer is B

Quote: Originally Posted by DmitryMakovetskiy

The answer would still be B..

Now you are thinking to yourself,,but getting a B is 25% chance.. thats true..

and how many times do you see 25% ? twice,, which makes it 50%.

Your brain runs in a loop. Think of it this way.


A) "The right answer"
B) 50%
C) 60%
D) "The right answer"

How many times does the right answer appear? twice..meaning that there is 50% chance of choosing it.. What does 50% represent..the answer B. Do you get it?

Think like this:

1) What is the right answer? (25%)
2) How many right answers are there ? (2)
3) Whats the chance of getting those 2 answers? (2 * 25%)

Quote: Originally Posted by DmitryMakovetskiy

I did answer the question in the right way.. I said that there is no solution... I just expressed myself in a different way than you did.

[Sldappu]

No. The answer, which is NOT GIVEN AS A CHOICE, is 0%.
This is because:

• We've got 2 lots of 25%, which equals 50%.
• We've got a 50% and a 60%, which equals 3 possible answers.
• The answers A + D != answer B because 25% might actually be the answer.
• So the answer then is 33.33%.
• None of these answers are 33.33% so the answer is 0%.

I'd leave this one blank. Do you still get a point for putting your name on the test paper?
In a way Dmitry is also right, because the odds of him answering correctly are 0%.

[jasonpklee]

Wow talk about a heated discussion...

This is how I see it... whenever you go through the question, you end up questioning your original answer. In the case of the original question, you could end up with either 25% or 50%, depending on how many times you iterate through the equation. Therefore, the correct terminology for this situation is "divergent solution", meaning the solution fails to tend towards one unique solution.

I believe this isn't circular reference (not quite, circular reference implies it refers to something else that refers back to the original question), but rather self-reference (since the question questions itself) or what people call "begging the question".

SO... I suggest the answer should be that this question has no unique solution, but two possible solutions (25% and 50%), depending on how many times you go through the question. And also that this "math test" is not strictly a math test, but rather a philosophy test with a sprinkle of statistics

[Sldappu]

Quote: Originally Posted by jasonpklee

I suggest the answer should be that this question has no unique solution, but two possible solutions (25% and 50%)

I agree completely. I've been meaning to come back and post this same answer as I realised I was wrong the day after I posted my answer.
The answer is a logical bitwise operation.
Hands up all those who spent time thinking about this question too much?