The Infinite Hotel Parado

Thursday, 8th November Issue

Latest maths update

In Hilbert's Hotel, rooms

are numbered 1, 2, 3 and
so on, and there are an
infinite number of them.
Now each room has one
guest, and all the rooms
are full. Then, a new guest
arrives, and they want a
room. Instead of turning
Now a bus arrives with
the guest away, they tell
passengers who have names
all the current guests to
made of only two letters, A
move
Fergus Cao one room down,
and B, repeated infinitely.
freeing up room number
The manager tries to assign
one for the newcomer.
rooms, but there's a
This allows the hotel to
problem, there’s always a
keep welcoming an
name that doesn't match
infinite number of guests.
anyone on the list. They
However, an infinite can't fit all the passengers
number of people turn up. with these new names into
The manager tells each the hotel.
guest to move to a room
This paradox has puzzled
with double their current
the most prestigious minds
room number. This frees
in the country, but we’ve
up all the odd-numbered
simplified it down for you.
rooms, making room for
Thank you for reading.
the new guests.