No information can be conveyed by certain events: The case of the clever widows of Fornicalia and the Stobon Oracle

TL;DR

This paper examines a logical puzzle and its solution, exploring its representation in logic programming and analyzing its information-theoretic implications to understand what information can or cannot be conveyed by certain events.

Contribution

It provides a formal analysis of a classic logical puzzle, highlighting the limitations of information transfer and representation in logic programming languages like Prolog.

Findings

Certain events do not convey information in the puzzle context

The puzzle's solution illustrates limits of information transfer

Discussion of logic programming representation and information theory

Abstract

In this short article, we look at an old logical puzzle, its solution and proof and discuss some interesting aspects concerning its representation in a logic programming language like Prolog. We also discuss an intriguing information theoretic aspect of the puzzle.