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

Sherlock breaks into a crime scene. The victim is the owner who is slumped dead on a chair and have a bullet hole in his head. A gun lies on the floor and a cassette recorder is found on the table. On pressing the play button, Sherlock hears the message 'I have committed sins in my life and now I offer my soul to the great Lord' and followed a gunshot Sherlock smiles and informed the police that's its a murder.

Why did he think so?

Murder Mystery with Sherlock Riddle

Asked by Neha on 01 May 2021


The below given figure comprises of a pattern through which you can determine the missing letter. Can you push your mind to find the pattern and add the missing letter?

Replace the (?)

Asked by Neha on 30 Jun 2023

Sachin bought a car with a strange 5 digit numbered plate.The water image of the number is 78633 more than my car number. All the digits of car number are distinct.

What is the original number on number plate?

Car Number Riddle

Asked by Neha on 13 Mar 2021


A mad serial killer kidnaps people and forces them to play the game of 2 pills with them, In this game, there are pills in the table and one of them is normal pill while the other one is deadly poisonous.
The victim will choose one pill and the killer will pick the other pill and both simultaneously will swallow the pill with water.
victim dies every time.

One day the serial killer kidnaps the Joseph and forces him to play the same game with him.

Joseph solves the mystery of the two pills and remains alive.

Explain?

Asked by Neha on 15 May 2021

Why is a river so rich ?

Rich River Riddle

Asked by Neha on 24 Dec 2020

What can you see in the middle of March and April that you can never see in any other month?

Asked by Neha on 13 Oct 2021


If,
9 * 8 * 7 = 65
8 * 7 * 6 = 50
7 * 6 * 5 = 37

Find
6 * 5 * 4 = ?

Asked by Neha on 05 Jul 2024

A man dies of old age on his 25 birthday. How is this possible?

Asked by Neha on 13 Feb 2022

Find the next number in the series?
2, 12, 36, 80, 150, 252, 392, _ ?

Asked by Neha on 22 Jan 2024


What do you see in the image below

Typical Image Puzzle

Asked by Neha on 17 Sep 2025

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Rubik’s Cube

The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube didn’t realize he’d built a puzzle until he scrambled it the first time and tried to restore it.