Which Alice?
Which Alice?
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 />
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