[sunny441]

Got a problem in my Math class... need some help. This is quite tricky.. and opinion is divided amongst friends. Here is the question anyway.

An ancient Sicilian legend says that the barber in a remote town —who can be reached only by traveling a dangerous mountain road— shaves those people, and only those people, who do not shave themselves. Can there be such a barber?

What is the answer - I strongly feel it is a NO - but i dunno why.

Can someone help me out

Cheers

[Advertisements]

Are you sure you didn't leave out part of the question?

Johanna

[Johanna]

Are you sure you didn't leave out part of the question?

Johanna

[sunny441]

Yup am sure!
Thats the quesion - verbatim from the book!

Edited by sunny441, 21 January 2006 - 05:09 PM.

[Dan]

Isn't this one of those questions where you are meant to use a Truth Table? Can't recall the exact setup.. I'll think about it

[maranatha]

Why would the barber shave someone already shaved? If someone does not shave himself, does he want to be shaved?

"I shave only those who do not shave themselves".

Does the barber shave himself?

Riddles

Edited by maranatha, 21 January 2006 - 11:35 PM.

[Swandog46]

The usual conclusion to this scenario is the question: does the barber shave himself? The question cannot be answered, because if you say "yes", then the barber shaves himself, but if the barber shaves only those who do not shave themselves, then the barber cannot shave himself --- contradiction. If you say "no," then the barber doesn't shave himself, but then the barber must shave himself, since he shaves those who do not shave themselves --- contradiction again.

It's the same old one as "this statement is a lie", or "can an omnipotent god create a boulder that he (or she!) cannot lift?".

[Steamhead]

Never thought of it like that.

[dsenette]

it's probably a sheep shearer....like...mountain goats...

[sunny441]

hiya folks

Class meets in an hour... so will know what the answer is. but am guessing that such a barber could exist - but the problem arises when you raise the question about the barber shaving himself. If he does then - it is a problem.

This is basically a paradox(?) i think

and there is no one possible answer to this question

Cheers