This is an assignment I have to do for Friday. I'm serious. My favorite parts are the Orson Wellsian assumption that pigs can reason like human beings, and the final question about similarities to business situations. Any submissions are welcome, btw!
--
Two pigs, one dominant and the other subordinate, are put in a box. There is a lever at one end of the box which, when pressed, dispenses food at the other end. Thus the pig that presses the lever must run to the other end; by the time it gets there, the other pig has eaten most, but not all of the food. The dominant pig is able to prevent the subordinate pig from getting any of the food when both pigs are at the food. Assuming the pigs can reason like rational human beings, which pig will press the lever?
Suppose 6 units of grain are delivered whenever the lever is pushed. If the subordinate pig presses the lever, the dominant pig eats all 6 units; but if the dominant pig pushes the lever, the subordinate pig eats 5 of the 6 units of grain before the dominant pig pushes it away. In the unlikely event that both press simultaneously, suppose they both have to run to another spot equidistant from their starting points. Suppose that the subordinate pig can run faster (after all, the dominant pig is probably fat!), it gets two units of grain before the domant pig arrives. Finally, suppose pressing the lever and running to the grain uses up 0.5 units of food for both pigs.
Show the matrix, and explain who will press the lever.
Are there any business situations that are similar to this?
5 comments:
Hey EO,
Have you tried Googling "Two pigs, one dominant and the other subordinate, are put in a box. There is a lever at one end of the box which, when pressed, dispenses food at the other end"? Interesting...
Pretty much any startup operation that relies on venture capital investors for funding while developing or doing research. If you're a VC investing in a business early in the startup cycle, the value of your shares is in peril of being diluted by additional investors who enter in later rounds of investment.
George Orwell, you mean?
At any rate, I am working on the problem, drawing little diagrams of Napoleon the dominant pig and Pinkeye the subordinate pig.
(See? I still love you...South Africa notwithstanding...)
LB
This is what it was like living with Inder.
haha, Google led me to your blog when I searched "rational pigs"...
I like these little pigs too...
//Elvis
Post a Comment