You're trapped in a maze. There is a way out. Path junctions are all 3-way.

If you use the strategy of always taking the path going right, what will happen?

(Note: This problem is deliberarely vague.)

As, I think someone has already pointed out, the strategy of "going right" exists implies a 2-dimensional maze, is it not just like a street layout of a town in which each intersection is only 3-way? For most towns of any size, you'd most likely end up circling the block forever. The town boundary would have to go through the block you're on in order to escape.

I also don't understand "Each possibility above is clearly equally likely, since each is represented by 1 path," considering that from the context the path is more than just the next segment, but a whole path that leads either to an exit or to your starting point. Just because there are two possibilities doesn't mean there is equal likelihood of each. Perhaps this is not what is meant, as the argument continues beyond that, but it's difficult to see what is in fact meant.

Posted by Charlie on 2003-02-23 10:43:15