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I thought about the Inconsistent Variable Theory on The Two Envelope Paradox.
And I have read some articles written by SinglePairians and some Wikipedia articles that describe a resolution that was led in SinglePairian's viewpoint , and found that there may be two stages on the way to the Inconsistent Variable Theory.
… But on March 29, 2015, I have gotten yet another opinin.
In the following sections , the people with this mental model are called 'DoublePairian'.
But another some people make following mental model about the "Two envelopes problem".
In the following sections , the people with this mental model are called 'SinglePairian'.
I analyze the characteristic of the problem expression as follows.
In the Rule part the rule of the game is described.
In the Paradox part the way to get a paradox is described.
↑ I removed case 4 on March 27, 2015, and added case 8 on April 3, 2015, and removed case 1 on July 11, 2015.
And the article refers to some paper which is advocating the theory.
After reading this, I became unable to deny the possibility that the "Inconsistent Use of Variable" in the expectation formula of the two envelopes problem can happen in real human brain.
Remark !
The oldest revision of the article which describe the Inconsistent Variable Theory is the revision 22:05, 3 October 2005. This revision is very short and simple. But I think that it includes almost all contents of the revision of 21:21, 14 July 2014.
↑ Added on October 11, 2014.
Following table is the result.
The term "Open" in this table was changed to "Opened" on May 3, 2015.
Seeing the above tables, I have found following fact.
And on March 29, 2015. I have gotten yet another opinion.
The following table describes these new opinions.
↓The header of this table was revised on May 3, 2015 and August 11, 2016.
On April 4, 2016, I conceived folowing idea.
And I finally comprehended that the Inconsistent Variable Theory was only one of many fictions they made.
Please see below for the details.
Return to the list of my pages written in English about the two envelopes problem
This page is too old.
So please see the page "An outline of the Two Envelopes Problem" on this site instead.
So please see the page "An outline of the Two Envelopes Problem" on this site instead.
Last edition 2016/08/11 15:25:18
First edition 2014/07/07
The Way to the Inconsistent Variable Theory about the Two Envelope Paradox
Caution
I who am Japanese wrote this page in English, but I am not so good at English.
I who am Japanese wrote this page in English, but I am not so good at English.
I thought about the Inconsistent Variable Theory on The Two Envelope Paradox.
And I have read some articles written by SinglePairians and some Wikipedia articles that describe a resolution that was led in SinglePairian's viewpoint , and found that there may be two stages on the way to the Inconsistent Variable Theory.
… But on March 29, 2015, I have gotten yet another opinin.
… |
But on April 4, 2016, I finally comprehended that the Inconsistent Variable Theory was only one of many fictions they made.
Please see below for the details. |
DoublePairian & SinglePairian
Some people make following mental model about the "Two envelopes problem".In the following sections , the people with this mental model are called 'DoublePairian'.
But another some people make following mental model about the "Two envelopes problem".
In the following sections , the people with this mental model are called 'SinglePairian'.
What decide whether we become a DoublePairian or SinglePairian
I predict that wording of the expression of 'the two envelopes problem' affects whether we become DoublePairian or SinglePairian.I analyze the characteristic of the problem expression as follows.
structure of the problem expression
A problem expression can be divided into 'Rule part' and 'Paradox part'.In the Rule part the rule of the game is described.
In the Paradox part the way to get a paradox is described.
An example of Rule part
One of two envelope contains some amount of money and another contains twice as much as it.
At random one of them become your envelope (you pick it or you are given it).
You are able to trade your envelope with another.
At random one of them become your envelope (you pick it or you are given it).
You are able to trade your envelope with another.
An example of Paradox part
Let A be the amount of money in your envelope.
The Expectation of the amount of another envelope is(1/2)(A/2) + (1/2)2A = 1.25A .
Therefore the expectation of the amounts in the another envelope is always larger than yours.
It contradicts the equality of the two envelopes.
The Expectation of the amount of another envelope is
Therefore the expectation of the amounts in the another envelope is always larger than yours.
It contradicts the equality of the two envelopes.
Properties of Rule part
Facets of classification | Classification | Meaning of the classification |
---|---|---|
Closed or Opened | Closed | You do not know the amount in your envelope at trading of envelopes. |
Opened | You find the amount in your envelope before trading of envelopes. | |
Setting process | No setting process | The process to enclose money with envelopes is not written. |
Second is double | The amount of money to secondly enclose is as the twice the first envelope. | |
Second is double or half | The amount of money to secondly enclose can be as the twice the first envelope or as the half. | |
Only One Pair |
Example: $100 and $200 |
Properties of Paradox part
Facets of classification | Classification | Meaning of the classification |
---|---|---|
Values of amount in the Paradox part | no specific, no variable |
Example: The amount in the another envelope may be half of yours or double of yours |
|
Example: The amount in the another envelope may be |
|
|
Example: The amount of money may be $20 or $40. If the amount in your envelop is $20 then the amount in the another envelope shall be $40. |
|
|
Example: The amount in the another envelope may be |
|
|
Example: If the amount in yours is A then it in the another envelope shall be |
|
Variable without probability |
Example: You will gain X , or loss In any case you will gain more than |
|
Rate of gain without probability |
Example 1: You will In any case you will gain more than |
|
Example 2: You will gain same amount as yours , or loss half amount as yours. In any case you will gain more amount than half of yours. |
||
Rate of gain with probability Added on March 14, 2015. |
Example: After exchange, your money will be doubled with a probability 1/2 , and it will be halved with a probability 1/2. |
|
Using variable symbole to easily produce Inconsistent Variable |
Example 1: and and |
|
Example 2: With a probability 1/2, the onother envelope contains the lesser amount x, and with a probabilty 1/2 it contains the greater amount 2x. Added on March 14, 2015. |
Properties of the assertion by SinglePairian
The conculusion of the articles written by SinglePairian has following propertie.Facets of classification | Classification | Meaning of the classification |
---|---|---|
Assertion | Only rejecting the expectation formula |
Example; The another envelope is either the larger or the smaller, but not both. There are not three possibilities of amount. |
Advocating IVT |
Advocating the Inconsistent Variable Theory. |
Example of the Articles Written by SinglePairians
I have read some articles written by SinglePairians. Following is the result.No. | Closed or Opened | Setting process | Values of amount in the Paradox part | Assertion |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 | Closed | No setting process |
|
Advocating IVT |
3 | Closed | No setting process |
|
Only rejecting the expectation formula |
5 | Opened | No setting process |
|
Advocating IVT |
6 | Opened | No setting process |
|
Only rejecting the expectation formula |
7 | Closed |
Only One Pair |
|
Advocating IVT |
8 | Closed | Second is double or half |
|
Advocating IVT |
Example of the Wikipedia Articles which describe resolution within SinglePairian's View
The case of English language Wikipedia
The Inconsistent Variable Theory is described as "Common Resolution" in the English language Wikipedia article titled "Two envelopes problem" (revision of 21:21, 14 July 2014).And the article refers to some paper which is advocating the theory.
After reading this, I became unable to deny the possibility that the "Inconsistent Use of Variable" in the expectation formula of the two envelopes problem can happen in real human brain.
Remark !
The oldest revision of the article which describe the Inconsistent Variable Theory is the revision 22:05, 3 October 2005. This revision is very short and simple. But I think that it includes almost all contents of the revision of 21:21, 14 July 2014.
↑ Added on October 11, 2014.
The cases of another language Wikipedia
On July, 2014, I examined another language Wikipedia articles.Following table is the result.
Caution
I can not read following languages, so I used artificial translator to examine following articles.
Therefore following findings may not be accurate.
I can not read following languages, so I used artificial translator to examine following articles.
Therefore following findings may not be accurate.
The term "Open" in this table was changed to "Opened" on May 3, 2015.
language |
Title of Article (revision) (original revision) |
Closed or Opened |
Values of amount in the Paradox part |
Is the equivalence of explained on SinglePairian's |
Is Inconsistent Variable Theory described ? |
Is resolution on DoublePairian's |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deutsch |
"Die Umtauschsituation' in the article "Umtauschparadoxon" (am 14. Juni 2014 um 08:43) (27. März 2005 um 09:48) |
Opened |
50, 100, 200 Euro |
NO | – | YES |
English |
"Two envelopes problem" (21:21, 14 July 2014) (22:36, 25 August 2005) |
Closed (Opened virsion at (switch to closed virsion at the revision 22:05, 3 October 2005) |
$10, $20, $40 |
YES | YES | YES |
Français |
"Paradoxe des deux enveloppes" (du 23 avril 2014 à 18:53) (du 22 mars 2006 à 20:11) |
Closed |
|
YES | YES ? | NO |
Italiano |
"Paradosso delle due buste" (5 lug 2013 alle 13:01) (20 feb 2006 alle 11:47) |
Opened |
|
YES | YES ? | YES |
Magyar |
Kétborítékos paradoxon (2013, március 8, 11:10-kor) (2006. április 28., 11:04-kor) |
Opened |
|
YES | YES | YES |
Nederlands |
"Enveloppenparadox" (op 13 feb 2014 18:33.) (op 8 mrt 2005 om 22:41) |
Closed (Opened virsion at (switch to closed virsion at the revision op 9 mrt 2005 om 13:33) |
Rate of gain without probability |
YES | NO ? | YES |
Русский |
"Задача о двух конвертах" (14:19, 10 июля 2014) (13:39, 20 августа 2009) |
Opened |
|
NO | – | YES |
Seeing the above tables, I have found following fact.
- I have expected that wording of the two envelopes problem affects whether we become a DoublePairian or SinglePairian. But this expectation may be wrong.
- Even if the "Closed or Opened" property is "Opened", and the "Values of amount in the Paradox part" property is "Specific 1:4", some SinglePairians continue holding SinglePairian's mental model.
- Not all of the people who continue holding SinglePairian's mental model advocate the Inconsistent Variable Theory.
- Some SinglePairians understood the paradox with three specific amounts and advocate the Inconsistent Variable Theory.
This fact suggest that the people who advocated the theory did not use Inconsistent Variable in their brains.
There may be two stages on the way to the Inconsistent Variable Theory
These findings let me think that there may be two stages on the way to the Inconsistent Variable Theory.step | DoublePairians | SinglePairians |
---|---|---|
Read Rule part |
They imagine SinglePairian's mental model |
They imagine SinglePairian's mental model |
Read Paradox part | They switch mental model to DoublePairian's mental model | They can not switch mental model to DoubleParin's mental model. |
Thinking |
Someone doubt the probability. Someone think infinite number of tries of the game. Et cetera |
They doubt the expectation formula |
Stage 1 They reject the expectation formula. |
||
They wonder why other people can find a paradox. | ||
Stage 2 They conceive of the Inconsistent Variable Theory. |
But on March 29, 2015, I have gotten yet another opinin.
On March 14, 2015, .I had gotten another opinion about the way to the Inconsistent Variable Theory from the findings in "Example of the Articles Written by SinglePairians" and "Example of the Wikipedia Articles which describe resolution within SinglePairian's View".And on March 29, 2015. I have gotten yet another opinion.
The following table describes these new opinions.
↓The header of this table was revised on May 3, 2015 and August 11, 2016.
step |
DoublePairians Self-styled Make no story |
DoublePairians Self-styled Make a story of IVT |
DoublePairians Self-styled Influenced by the "Not three amounts theory" |
DoublePairians Self-styled Influenced by IVT |
---|---|---|---|---|
Read Rule part |
They imagine SinglePairian's mental model |
They imagine SinglePairian's mental model |
They imagine SinglePairian's mental model |
They imagine SinglePairian's mental model |
Read Paradox part | They switch mental model to DoublePairian's mental model | They switch mental model to DoublePairian's mental model | They switch mental model to DoublePairian's mental model | They switch mental model to DoublePairian's mental model |
Thinking | They can't doubt the probability. | They can't doubt the probability. | They can't doubt the probability. | They can't doubt the probability. |
Reject two pairs of amounts of money | They find that if the expectation formula is comprised of only two amount of money A and 2A then the paradox will vanish. | They find that if the expectation formula is comprised of only two amount of money A and 2A then the paradox will vanish. | ||
They think that the cause of the paradox is to think of amounts X/2 and 2X. | They think that the cause of the paradox is to think of amounts X/2 and 2X. | |||
Make a story | They don't go ahead. | They go ahead and make a story of IVT to rationalize their thought. | ||
Influenced by suggestion |
They read the "Not three amounts theory" which says that the cause of the paradox is to think of amounts X/2 and 2X. And they think themselves SingleParian, but they don't advocate IVT. |
They read the IVT. And they think themselves SingleParian, and advocate IVT. |
But on April 4, 2016, I finally comprehended that the Inconsistent Variable Theory was only one of many fictions they made.
(This paragraph was added on August 11, 2016.)On April 4, 2016, I conceived folowing idea.
DivideThreeByTwoians had been caught by illusion of objective expectation.
In other words, in their mind the expected value is conservative quantity like energy or mass.
On the other hand they had been caught by illusion of objective equivalence.
In other words, in their mind the equivalence of the two envelopes is not varying, regardless of the amount of money in the chosen envelope.
Because DivideThreeByTwoians had been caught by both illusions, they conceived the theory of"E = (1/2)2a + (1/2)a" along with the following flow of thought.
In other words, in their mind the expected value is conservative quantity like energy or mass.
On the other hand they had been caught by illusion of objective equivalence.
In other words, in their mind the equivalence of the two envelopes is not varying, regardless of the amount of money in the chosen envelope.
Because DivideThreeByTwoians had been caught by both illusions, they conceived the theory of
And I finally comprehended that the Inconsistent Variable Theory was only one of many fictions they made.
Please see below for the details.
- Theory of
"E = (1/2)2a + (1/2)a " on The Two Envelope Paradox - An outline of the Two Envelopes Problem
Terms
-
DivideThreeByTwoian
When I think of the people who think that the expectation formulaE=(1/2)A + (1/2)2A " is the correct version of the paradoxical formulaE=(1/2)(x/2) + (1/2)2x , I call them "DivideThreeByTwoian", because (1/2)A + (1/2)2A = (3/2)A.
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