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Which Alice?

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ALICE IN PUZZLE-LAND<br />

is not a spy; so he knows that A must be either the knight or the spy.<br />

If Case 2 held, the judge couldn't have known whether A was the<br />

knight or the spy; hence he couldn't have known who the spy was.<br />

So Case 1 holds, and the judge knew that A can't be a knave (since<br />

he made a true statement); hence A must be the spy.<br />

AN EQUALLY INTERESTING CASE Since A, B were asked the<br />

same questions as in the last problem, we can use the same table (see<br />

page 161).<br />

Consider that point of the trial right before the judge asked C<br />

whether he was a spy. At that point, the judge did not know of any<br />

of the three that he was definitely not the spy; otherwise he would<br />

have acquitted him. This rules out Cases 1 and 2, because in either<br />

of those cases the judge would have known that C was either a<br />

knight or a knave and would have acquitted him. So either Case 3<br />

or Case 4 must hold.<br />

Now, we consider the judge's reasoning after C answered.<br />

Suppose Case 3 holds. Then the judge knows that C is either the spy<br />

or the knight. If C answered no, the judge would have known no<br />

more than before and couldn't have convicted anyone. If C<br />

answered yes, the judge would have known that C was the spy,<br />

because a knight could not say that he was the spy. So, if Case 3<br />

holds, then it must have been C who was convicted.<br />

Suppose Case 4 holds. Then the judge knows that C is the spy or<br />

the knave. If C answered yes, the judge couldn't have made a<br />

conviction (because either a knave or a spy could say he is a spy). If<br />

C answered no, then the judge would have known that C was the<br />

spy, because a knave could not make the true statement that he isn't<br />

a spy. So in Case 4, it was also C who was convicted.<br />

It might be well to point out that it is impossible for you or me to<br />

know whether Case 3 or Case 4 is the one which actually holds, nor<br />

is it possible for us to know what answer C actually gave. All we do<br />

know is that since the judge did make a conviction, then either Case<br />

3 holds and C answered yes, or Case 4 holds and C answered no,<br />

162

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