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A man has two children. One of them is a boy.



Moshe Gariani

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2005
12,063
What is the probability that the other one is a boy?
 

Munkfish

Well-known member
May 1, 2006
11,860
Plot twist the man doesnt have a boy as his Mrs ****ed the milkman. However he is none the wiser and is bringing up someone elses child without his knowledge.
 

sparkie

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
12,453
Hove
To work this out you need to know the probability of having identical twins, and I can't be bothered to look that up.

And you also need to look up the probability any given child is a boy anyway. I doubt it is exactly 50:50 ( and may even vary from country to country ? ??? )
 


Eeyore

Lord Donkey of Queen's Park
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Apr 5, 2014
23,291
Aren't their more females than males ? (about 52/48). I guess the probability is about 30%.
 


GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,378
Gloucester
A man has two children. One of them is a boy.

Need to define the question better - too many answers:

1). It's a trick question; men don't have children, women do.

2). Somewhere very close to 50/50.

3). Is there something nasty Jimmy Saville-like going on here?
 

nwgull

Well-known member
Jul 25, 2003
13,632
Manchester
Chances of the other child being an identical twin are approx. 3/100, otherwise it's 50/50. So approximately 51.5% chance that the other is a boy.

Although I fear I may have missed the trick part of this question.
 




brakespear

Doctor Worm
Feb 24, 2009
12,326
Sleeping on the roof
Nope - don't buy that. That line contradicts the first line. So the answer is zero.
Nope - 'One of them is a boy' does not preclude the other child being a boy also - 'Only one of them is a boy' would though.
 


Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Even if it isn't meant to be a trick question, you would have to include the probablility of it being so, and then work out the probablility of it being a boy.

The questioner has failed if it wasn't a trick question. :)

Good point, you would need to factor this in.
 

mreprice

Active member
Sep 12, 2010
690
Sydney, Australia
I think he means at least one of them is a boy. The question is effectively the probability he has two boys.

The answer to that question is 1 in 3 assuming the odds of a boy is 1/2 I.e ignoring identical twins and the fact 52% of babies are boys.
 

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