Thread: A Village Problem

Apologies in advance if this in in the wrong place

I was walking through our school maths department yesterday and saw the following puzzle/problem

The village Problem

Once upon a time there was a small village, the population only consisting of married couples who were very gossipy. Everybody told everybody about the affairs that men might have with other women. There was only one exception however, nobody would tell a man about the infidelity of his wife, because if a man KNOWS about the infidelity of his wife, he is going to divorce her the following morning.

One day a traveller came to the village and spent some time in it, listening to all the gossip. After some days, he called for a village meeting and told the whole population the following.

"There is infidelity in this village"

Then he left.

Assuming the population of the village is really clever, what is going to happen and why?

I've posted it it in a couple of other forums across the web, but nobody really knows what to do.

I'd reallly llike to know the answer, I'm curious like that, so if you can help please do.

Originally Posted by weeman27bob

Apologies in advance if this in in the wrong place

I was walking through our school maths department yesterday and saw the following puzzle/problem




I've posted it it in a couple of other forums across the web, but nobody really knows what to do.

I'd reallly llike to know the answer, I'm curious like that, so if you can help please do.

If there is one unfaithful wife the husband will know it's his partner because he has heard no gosip, so will divorce the next day.

If there are two unfaithful wives there will be two husbands who have heard gossip about one affair, so they will expect to see the couple divorce the next day, when this does not happen they know that there must be more than one affair, and so thier wives must be unfaithful and will both divorce on the following day.

If there are three .... you get the picture?

(There may be complications if there are men who are unfaithfull who also have wives who are unfaithful ... )

CB

Reminds me of the barber paradox by Bertrand Russell.