| Topic Name: |
Brainteasers |
| Message Name: |
Assumptions |
| Date Posted: |
08/03/1999 |
| In Reply To: |
If you make the assumption that you know whether is is under or over weight, then it's really easy!
--but the question states that you don't know, that's when it becomes hard.
Thank you for calling me a retard. |
| Message: |
Consultants love assumptions: throw the assumption out in the case that the abnormal ball is lighter or heavier. Consultants also love hypotheses, so you could hypthesize that ball A is heavier, which basically amounts to the same thing (facetiousness intended). Finally, you could try to understand the basis for the limitation on the use of the scale. What constitutes weighing? Could you place six on each side and then take one off at a time? The point is that if you're stuck, try to show how you'd attack the problem beyond the obvious path (e.g., the bisection method). I personally don't believe this brainteaser is solvable in less than four uses of the scale, but I never get that stupid thing about the guy, the fox and the donkey on a river right either -- oh, hold yes, I do. It's the one about the 70 kg man with 10 1kg weights trying to cross a bridge rated at only 75 kg. That one really buggers me...
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