The Three-Door Dilemma

On the old TV show "Let's Make a Deal," host Monty Hall offered the contestants the contents behind one of three doors. After they made a choice, he revealed what was behind one of the two remaining doors, which was always a dud prize. They then had the opportunity to stay with their original choice or switch. The three-door dilemma vividly demonstrates the value of empirical investigation. And it's fun, to boot! In this exercise, you will visit two Web sites that explain the problem, ask you to play by choosing one strategy, and then invite you to test your strategy by playing a certain number of times.

Visit http://dcity.org/braingames/3doors/index.htm and play the game at least 20 times.

Visit http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/reese/monty/monty.htm and play this game at least 10 times.

1. List your results in playing the game. That is, how many times did you win with each strategy?

2. Which is the best strategy to use in solving the three-door dilemma? Why?

3. What practical significance does this exercise have for everyday problem solving?