From: Erle Greer <vagab0nd@sd.cybernex.net>
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 08:34:35 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Twenty Bank Robbers -- Game theory:)
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960726220742.00726ee0@mail.sd.cybernex.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 05:55 PM 7/25/96 -0500, you wrote:
>At 09:09 AM 7/25/96 -0500, you wrote:
>>Here's a puzzle for our game theorists.
>>
>>Twenty cypherpunks robbed a bank. They took 20 million bucks. Here's
>>how they plan to split the money: they stay in line, and the first guy
>>suggests how to split the money. Then they vote on his suggestion. If
>>50% or more vote for his proposal, his suggestion is adopted.
>>
>>Otherwise they kill the  first robber and now it is the turn of guy #2
>>to make another splitting proposal. Same voting rules apply.
>>
>>The question is, what will be the outcome? How will they split the
>>money, how many robbers will be dead, and so on?
>>
>>igor
>>
>
>Here's my guess:
>Eache robber is going to want the largest share of the money possible.
>Therefore The first guy dies automatically because that increases the share
>size.  This continues on until there are only two robbers left.  Robber #19
>suggests that he receives the full 20 million and since his vote is 50%, he
>receives it all.  18 robbers dead.

I wasn't very clear why #1 died.  Any suggestion of his is shot down and
then he is killed.  And so on... and so on... until the final two are left.
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