Prisoner to be freed

The warden meets with 23 new prisoners when they arrive. He tells them, "You may meet today and plan a strategy. But after today, you will be in isolated cells and will have no communication with one another.

"In the prison is a switch room, which contains two light switches labeled 1 and 2, each of which can be in either up or the down position. I am not telling you their present positions. The switches are not connected to anything.

"After today, from time to time whenever I feel so inclined, I will select one prisoner at random and escort him to the switch room. This prisoner will select one of the two switches and reverse its position. He must flip one switch when he visits the switch room, and may only flip one of the switches. Then he'll be led back to his cell.

"No one else will be allowed to alter the switches until I lead the next prisoner into the switch room. I'm going to choose prisoners at random. I may choose the same guy three times in a row, or I may jump around and come back. I will not touch the switches, if I wanted you dead you would already be dead.

"Given enough time, everyone will eventually visit the switch room the same number of times as everyone else. At any time, anyone may declare to me, 'We have all visited the switch room.'

"If it is true, then you will all be set free. If it is false, and somebody has not yet visited the switch room, you will all die horribly. You will be carefully monitored, and any attempt to break any of these rules will result in instant death to all of you"

What is the strategy they come up with so that they can be free?




Similar Riddles

Can you solve this picture maths equation?

Easy Maths

Asked by Neha on 09 Jun 2023


What does this rebus puzzle means ?

Rebus Picture Problem

Asked by Neha on 18 Jul 2023

If EELS + MARK + BEST + WARY = EASY

What does HELP + BARK + WARD + LEAD equal?

Find the Next

Asked by Neha on 18 Mar 2021


Can you find a rabbit in the given picture?

Hidden Picture Riddle

Asked by Neha on 08 Apr 2023

John left on a horse on Thursday , was gone for two days, and came back on Thursday after completing his work. How did that happen?

Asked by Neha on 23 Feb 2021

You may enter, but you may not come in. I have space, but no room. I have keys, but open no lock. What am I?

Asked by Neha on 23 Oct 2021


What runs around the whole yard without moving?

Asked by Neha on 14 May 2021

You have 1023 apples and 10 bags. You have to distribute these apples in these 10 bags in any way you choose. But when I ask for a certain number of apples you have to give them in terms of bags without transferring the apples from other bags. How do you distribute the apples?

Asked by Neha on 25 Jan 2021

You are given 16 witch hats. The hats are divided in four different colours – red, blue, green and yellow. Every colour has been assigned to four hats. Now each of the hat will be glued with a label of an arithmetic sign – ‘+’, ‘-‘, ‘x’ or ‘/’. But you can label one sign only once on one colour. In such an arrangement, the hats can be uniquely defined by its colour and symbol.

Can you arrange all the 16 hats in a 4x4 grid in a fashion that no two rows and columns have a repetition of colour or sign?
We have arranged four hats in the below picture to assist you.

Arrange Hats in Squares

Asked by Neha on 17 May 2021


I am the black child of a white father, a wingless bird, flying even to the clouds of heaven. I give birth to tears of mourning in pupils that meet me, even though there is no cause for grief, and at once on my birth, I am dissolved into air. What am I?

Asked by Neha on 20 Apr 2023

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Word ladder puzzle

The word ladder puzzle was invented by Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.