Paradox Lost

Tāda loģika!

A judge is sentencing a man for a crime that he finds reprehensible and for which he wishes to mete out the most severe sentence. He tells the convicted man not only that he is sentenced to die, but that the sentence is to be carried out in a unique way. “The sentence is to be carried out no later than next Saturday. Furthermore, I want the sentence to be carried out in such a way that on the morning of your execution, you will not know for certain that you are going to be executed on that day. When we come for you, it will be a surprise.”

When the judge finishes describing his unusual sentence, the condemned man seems surprisingly pleased and replies, “Well, that’s great judge. I am greatly relieved.” To this the judge says, “I don’t understand. How can you be relieved?”

The man replies, “Well, your honor, in order for your sentence to be carried out, I could not be executed on Saturday.” “Why is that?’ asks the judge. “Since the sentence must be carried out by Saturday, if we actually get to Saturday, I will know for certain that I am to be executed on that day, and thus it would not be a surprise.”

“I suppose you are right,” responds the judge. “You cannot be executed on Saturday. I still do not see why you are relieved.” “Well,” says the prisoner, “if we have definitely ruled out Saturday, then I cannot be executed on Friday either.”

“Why is that?” asks the judge. “We have agreed that I definitely cannot be executed on Saturday. Therefore, Friday is the last day I can be executed. Thus, if Friday rolls around, I will definitely know that I am to be executed on that day, and therefore it would not be a surprise. So I cannot be executed on Friday.” “I see,” says the judge.

“Thus the last day I can be executed would be Thursday. But if Thursday rolls around, I would know I had to be executed on that day, and thus it would not be a surprise. So Thursday is out. By the same reasoning we can eliminate Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday, and today.”

The judge scratches his head as the confident prisoner is led back to his cell. On Thursday, the prisoner is taken to be executed. He is very surprised. So the judge’s orders are successfully carried out.