Can Hilbert's Paradox Be Solved With a Simple Command For Guests to Move Rooms?

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SUMMARY

Hilbert's paradox illustrates the counterintuitive nature of infinity, specifically in the context of an infinite hotel accommodating new guests. The discussion centers on the synchronization of moving guests to create space for an additional guest without delays. A proposed solution involves the hotel manager commanding all guests to move simultaneously to the next room, effectively resolving the issue of infinite waiting. This thought experiment emphasizes that practical considerations are irrelevant when dealing with theoretical constructs of infinity.

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rupertc
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In Hilbert's paradox to accommodate a new guest you move guest 1 to room 2, guest 2 to room 3 and so on this will make space for a new guest. I assume that guest 1 has to wait for guest 2 to move to room 3 before he can move to room 2 thus all guests have to wait for guest n to move to room n+1. My question is that since there are infinite rooms the procedure of moving guests is infinite so does that mean that a room will never be made available?
 
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rupertc said:
In Hilbert's paradox to accommodate a new guest you move guest 1 to room 2, guest 2 to room 3 and so on this will make space for a new guest. I assume that guest 1 has to wait for guest 2 to move to room 3 before he can move to room 2 thus all guests have to wait for guest n to move to room n+1. My question is that since there are infinite rooms the procedure of moving guests is infinite so does that mean that a room will never be made available?

Can't the hotel manager just yell out, "Attention! All guests out into the corridor! Quick march at my command to the room to your right - 1-2-3!"? :smile:

So the move can be synchronised perfectly without anyone needing to wait.

You must also realize that this is purely a thought experiment, so practical considerations become meaningless. If you do manage to build a hotel with \aleph_0 rooms, let us know. :biggrin:
 

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