Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 So, two roads diverged into a yellow wood. And then Robert Frost walked along. He literally wanted to take the road less traveled by. The first road (henceforth referred to as Road A) had a counter to see how many people went through this road. 16 people. The second road (henceforth referred to as Road B) also had a counter to see how many people went through. Again, 16 people. Robert Frost literally wants to take the road less traveled by. For some odd reason. He hits a dilemma. Both roads have an equal amount of people. Therefore, he cannot take the road less traveled by. So he goes down Road A. Now, Road A has 17 people, and Road B has 16 people. Therefore, Road B is now the road less traveled by. Robert Frost exits Road A the same way he came in, making the counter 16 for both Road A and B. Another dilemma. So he goes down Road B, this time around. Now, Road A has 16 people, and Road B just received 1 to make 17. Therefore, Road A is now the road less traveled by. Robert Frost exits Road B the same way he came in, making the counter 16 for both Road A and Road B. Assuming he must take one of these roads, he will continue taking Road A and Road B ad infinitum, as he will ALWAYS take the road more traveled by. Discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismal Euphony Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 So' date=' two roads diverged into a yellow wood. And then Robert Frost walked along. He [b']literally[/b] wanted to take the road less traveled by. The first road (henceforth referred to as Road A) had a counter to see how many people went through this road. 16 people. The second road (henceforth referred to as Road B) also had a counter to see how many people went through. Again, 16 people. Robert Frost literally wants to take the road less traveled by. For some odd reason. He hits a dilemma. Both roads have an equal amount of people. Therefore, he cannot take the road less traveled by. So he goes down Road A. Now, Road A has 17 people, and Road B has 16 people. Therefore, Road B is now the road less traveled by. Robert Frost exits Road A the same way he came in, making the counter 16 for both Road A and B. Another dilemma. So he goes down Road B, this time around. Now, Road A has 16 people, and Road B just received 1 to make 17. Therefore, Road A is now the road less traveled by. Robert Frost exits Road B the same way he came in, making the counter 16 for both Road A and Road B. Assuming he must take one of these roads, he will continue taking Road A and Road B ad infinitum, as he will ALWAYS take the road more traveled by. Discuss. This just ruined a poem that I liked. ;\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 TBQH, I wasn't reading the poem when I thought of this. And it's a simple paradox, no need to hate the poem for it. ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismal Euphony Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 TBQH' date=' I wasn't reading the poem when I thought of this. And it's a simple paradox, no need to hate the poem for it. ;D[/quote'] I know. I just never thought that far into it when I first read it. xD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoshIcy Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Dark has mastered Common Sense.So what's your point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntar! Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He waits for someone else to come and take a road. Then, he takes the one he didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He waits for someone else to come and take a road. Then' date=' he takes the one he didn't.[/quote'] What if no one else comes to take any of those roads? Or just assume Robert Frost is the last one on Earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JG. Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He waits for someone else to come and take a road. Then' date=' he takes the one he didn't.[/quote'] No, because then both roads would have 17 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinitus Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He takes Road A: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He takes Road B: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He makes his own road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~/Coolio Prime\~ Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Make another road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He takes Road A: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He takes Road B: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He makes his own road.Make another road. Let's assume he's an idiot and doesn't have the capabilities nor the material to make a new road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~/Coolio Prime\~ Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 This paradox involves a lot of assuming. >:[ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinitus Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He takes Road A: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He takes Road B: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He makes his own road.Make another road. Let's assume he's an idiot and doesn't have the capabilities nor the material to make a new road. So, what your trying to say is... He HAS to take one of these roads? Can he turn back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~/Coolio Prime\~ Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Hey, does it count if he goes down one and back as two people going down it? Because if so he could go up and down A then up B, thereby going on a less traveled road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntar! Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 He waits for someone else to come and take a road. Then' date=' he takes the one he didn't.[/quote'] No, because then both roads would have 17 people. But not at the time when he was taking the road. Afterwards, yes. But not while hes doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinitus Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Hey' date=' does it count if he goes down one and back as two people going down it? Because if so he could go up and down A then up B, thereby going on a less traveled road.[/quote'] inb4Darksayslet'sassumeafterhetakesaroadhecan'tgoback I like that idea. Or, better yet, go up and down A a few times, just to make sure that no one goes down B while he's doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 This paradox involves a lot of assuming. >:[ That's because it's a simple paradox' date= yet you are trying to complicate it by asking me if he can build a new road, or break the counter, et cetera. He takes Road A: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He takes Road B: He takes the road MORE traveled by. He makes his own road.Make another road. Let's assume he's an idiot and doesn't have the capabilities nor the material to make a new road. So' date=' what your trying to say is... He HAS to take one of these roads? Can he turn back?[/quote] He MUST take one road. If he takes that road, the count goes up by one. If he turns back, the count goes down by one, because he has not finished the road. He wants to FINISH the road less traveled by. Hey' date=' does it count if he goes down one and [b']back as two people going down it[/b]? Because if so he could go up and down A then up B, thereby going on a less traveled road. Asexual reproduction? o_O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~/Coolio Prime\~ Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 If he went up and down that would count as finishing it twice. Going down a road isn't a negative accomplishment, crossing something is done in absolute value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 No. Basically, he wants to go down and finish the road from his starting point to his destination. If he goes down the road, the counter goes up by 1. But if he doesn't finish the road, and comes back, the counter goes down by 1. Once he reaches his destination (finishes the road), he cannot go down either of the roads again. Since the count is 16/16, it's impossible for him to take the less traveled road. Either road he takes, the count will be 17/16 or 16/17, therefore making him take the more traveled road. And there lies the paradox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestLess-BoTics Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 HAHAH. Someone tell my english teacher this. x] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 HAHAH. Someone tell my english teacher this. x] Won't work. The poem says absolutely nothing about counters, and you can't assume both roads are traveled equally. But if you want to, knock yourself out. Maybe she'll get it. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~/Coolio Prime\~ Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 No. Basically' date=' he wants to go down and finish the road from his starting point to his destination. If he goes down the road, the counter goes up by 1. But if he doesn't finish the road, and comes back, the counter goes down by 1. Once he reaches his destination (finishes the road), he cannot go down either of the roads again. Since the count is 16/16, it's impossible for him to take the less traveled road. Either road he takes, the count will be 17/16 or 16/17, therefore making him take the more traveled road. And there lies the paradox.[/quote']But why isn't he capable of going back down the road once he has completed it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Phoenix Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 If he travels part of a road, but turns back, although he has not completely traveled it, it will be more traveled than the road he has not set foot in. Aren't fractions god damn wonderful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinitus Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Apparently from your statements Dark, Mr. Frost wants to get to the other side using the road less traveled by, because if he just wanted to use the road less traveled by, he would go up and down one and then go the other road. Unfortunately, if he did that then he technically would be using the road more traveled by, which he cannot do EVER. As Dark said, assuming he is too stupid and does not have the cababilities to make another road, so he can't do that. Does he have to use a road? Or can he just go around them or something? Can he use the deadly woods that he most likely won't come out of alive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 No. Basically' date=' he wants to go down and finish the road from his starting point to his destination. If he goes down the road, the counter goes up by 1. But if he doesn't finish the road, and comes back, the counter goes down by 1. Once he reaches his destination (finishes the road), he cannot go down either of the roads again. Since the count is 16/16, it's impossible for him to take the less traveled road. Either road he takes, the count will be 17/16 or 16/17, therefore making him take the more traveled road. And there lies the paradox.[/quote']But why isn't he capable of going back down the road once he has completed it? Because once he reaches his destination, both roads leading back to his starting point are closed off. If he travels part of a road' date=' but turns back, although he has not completely traveled it, it will be more traveled than the road he has not set foot in. Aren't fractions god damn wonderful?[/quote'] NO FRACTIONS. Smartass. Apparently from your statements Dark' date=' Mr. Frost wants to get to the other side using the road less traveled by, because if he just wanted to use the road less traveled by, he would go up and down one and then go the other road. Unfortunately, if he did that then he technically would be using the road more traveled by, which he cannot do EVER. As Dark said, assuming he is too stupid and does not have the cababilities to make another road, so he can't do that. Does he have to use a road? Or can he just go around them or something? Can he use the deadly woods that he most likely won't come out of alive?[/quote'] Yes, he has to use a road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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