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

What does does this rebus picture means ?

Rebus Picture Riddle

Asked by Neha on 03 May 2023


What do you see in the given picture?

Are you Intelligent ?

Asked by Neha on 17 May 2021

I know a ten-letter word in the English language which can be typed using only the top rows of the computer keyboard.

Asked by Neha on 18 May 2024


How many cubic feet of dirt are in a hole of one foot deep, three feet long, and two feet wide?

Asked by Neha on 13 Feb 2021

Which English verb becomes past tense just by rearranging the letters?

Asked by Neha on 07 Sep 2025

I am a ten letters word
The first four letters have the power to rule,
Next, four-letter can be eaten.
The next three-letter represents a lady.
I can fly as well

what am I looking for?

Asked by Neha on 05 Jul 2023


A pack of cards has 40 cards. You are blindfolded. Out of 40, 25 cards are facing down while 15 are facing up. You have been asked to divide this pack of cards into two decks - so that each deck contains an equal number of face-up cards. Remember, you are blindfolded.

How will you do it?

Asked by Neha on 10 Jan 2026

A doctor and a boy were fishing. The boy was the doctor’s son, but the doctor was not the boy’s father. Who was the doctor?

Asked by Neha on 04 Mar 2022

Pronounced as one letter,
And written with three,
Two letters there are,
And two only in me.
I am double, I am single,
I am black blue and grey,
I am read from both ends,
And the same either way.

Asked by Neha on 01 Oct 2024


What is greater than gold but cannot be bought. it can never be sold and can earn if its sought. though it can be broken, it can still be fixed. for by birth it can't start nor by death it is ended.what am i?

Asked by Neha on 19 Mar 2022

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Crossword puzzles

In the 1920s, people feared that crossword puzzles would contribute to illiteracy.