Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M5984

Unexpected Hanging Paradox

Unexpected Hanging Paradox
DecideHigh supportGame Theory
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

The Unexpected Hanging Paradox, also known as the Tiger Paradox, the Surprise Quiz Paradox, or the Unexpected Exam Paradox, is a well-known logical paradox in game theory. A paradox is a statement that leads to a contradiction.

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The Unexpected Hanging Paradox, also known as the Tiger Paradox, the Surprise Quiz Paradox, or the Unexpected Exam Paradox, is a well-known logical paradox in game theory. A paradox is a statement that leads to a contradiction.

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Also known as the 'Unexpected Exam Paradox': the judge says 'you will be hanged one day next week and you cannot foresee which day', the prisoner uses induction to deduce it is impossible, yet is still unexpectedly executed. The mechanism involves self-reference of 'knowability'.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%84%8F%E5%A4%96%E7%BB%9E%E5%88%91%E6%82%96%E8%AE%BAZH · Explicit
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