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 count the number of squares in the given picture?

How Many Squares you Find

Asked by Neha on 13 Feb 2024


People put me on the table and cut me but do not eat me. What am I?

Asked by Neha on 09 Jul 2024

When you say goodbye, I am what you need to tie.
I come as a couple and go wherever you run.
Who am I?

Asked by Neha on 12 Oct 2025


In the picture, you can see a chess board. On the top left position, the K marks a knight. Now, can you move the knight in a manner that after 63 moves, the knight has been placed at all the squares exactly once excluding the starting square?

Are You A Chess Player?

Asked by Neha on 08 Apr 2024

What is the below Rebus indicate?

Read the Indication

Asked by Neha on 19 Sep 2023

What breaks yet never falls, and what falls yet never breaks?

Asked by Neha on 09 Mar 2025


Two natural numbers have a sum of less than 100 and are greater than one.

John knows the product of the numbers and Jacob knows the sum of numbers.

The following conversation takes place between them:
John: 'I am not aware of those numbers.'
Jacob: 'I knew you wouldn't be. I am not aware myself.'
John: 'Now I know them!'
Jacob: 'Now I know them, too!'

What are the two numbers?

Asked by Neha on 07 Feb 2026

There are two arch enemies Messi and Ronaldo who hate each other to an extreme. One day both were going together and a Jeanie appeared in front of them. Jeanie grants 3 wishes to Ronaldo and one to Messi.

Messi replied smartly 'Give me twice whatever Ronaldo demands'.

Ronaldo asked his 1st wish 'Give me 10000 billion dollars. Soon Messi gets 2000 billion dollars.
Ronaldo asked for his 2nd wish 'Give me one mansion in every country in the world. Soon Messi gets two mansions in every country of the world?

What should be Ronaldo's third wish?

Asked by Neha on 02 Mar 2024

In The 1st month of this year(the year 2013), I noticed that the date 13-1-13 (13 January 2013) is special.

This date is special as:

Date * Month = Year.

Can you figure out which year of this century has a maximum number of such dates?

Asked by Neha on 14 Aug 2024


Can you count the number of lines in the below picture?

Count The Number Of Lines

Asked by Neha on 27 Dec 2023

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Gambling

In Canada, a mathematical puzzle must be solved in order to win the lottery to classify it as a “game of skill” not gambling.