Lets Make a Deal In 1991, columnist Marilyn Vos Savant posted her reply to a readers question.

Let’s Make a Deal In 1991, columnist Marilyn Vos Savant posted her reply to a reader’s question. The question posed was in reference to one of the games played on the gameshow Let’s Make a Deal hosted by Monty Hall.

Suppose you’re on a game show, and you’re given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what’s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, “Do you want to pick door No. 2?” Is it to your advantage to take the switch?

Her reply generated a tremendous amount of backlash, with many highly educated individuals angrily responding that she was clearly mistaken in her reasoning.

(a) Using subjective probability, estimate the probability of winning if you switch.

(b) Load the Let’s Make a Deal applet. Simulate the probability that you will win if you switch by going through the simulation at least 100 times. How does your simulated result compare to your answer to part (a)?

(c) Research the Monty Hall Problem as well as the reply by Marilyn Vos Savant. How does the probability she gives compare to the two estimates you obtained?

(d) Write a report detailing why Marilyn was correct. One approach is to use a random variable on a wheel similar to the one shown. On the wheel, the innermost ring indicates the door where the car is located, the middle ring indicates the door you selected, and the outer ring indicates the door(s) that Monty could show you. In the outer ring, green indicates you lose if you switch while purple indicates you win if you switch.

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