Year 10 Mathematics: Monty Hall Game Show 

“Let’s make a Deal” is a famous game show that Year 10 mathematics students at Heathmont college explored. The Monty Hall problem, named after the host of the show, Monty Hall, looks at three doors which have two goats and a car hidden behind them. Contestants pick a door (1, 2, or 3), are revealed a goat behind a different door, and then asked if they want to keep or change their original choice of door. You can find more about the problem here, or play a simulation for yourself here. 

What’s the better strategy, should you keep…or should you change!? 

Students got to play the role of game show host, asking the contestants (their classmates) if they wanted to “keep or change!?”. Classes collected some initial data, before playing rounds in smaller groups to collect more data. 

Students decided that the best choice, the one with the best probability of winning the car, was to change! Our experiment showed a 62% chance of winning when changing, almost matching the theoretical value of 66%! 

Well done to the Year 10 mathematics students! 

Merry mathing! 

Jesse Givens-Lamb (Curriculum Area Leader) and the mathematics faculty. 

Heathmont College