number of coins to each sailor.
Does the problem seem intractable? Here is a simple solution: Have each sailor write down the number of coins he is entitled to. Collect the papers and
distribute the coins. Announce in advance that if the numbers on the papers don't add up to the correct total, you will throw all of the coins overboard.
That solution is a simple
manifestation of an elaborate theory whose slogan might be "Truth is accessible.". In this instance the captain has a key piece of information: He knows the total number of coins. It
turns out that even when a decision maker has no information at all he can frequently design a mechanism that elicits absolute truth from all concerned.
