Math question....

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Kern Dog

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The meme below has some misspelled words but the math question is interesting.
What did you come up with ?

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This question gets 85% of the people I interview for any IT job-

12 socks in a dryer.
6 are black.
6 are blue.

No light in the laundry room (assume pitch black).

What is the least number of socks you need to remove to make sure you have a matched pair?
 
This question gets 85% of the people I interview for any IT job-

12 socks in a dryer.
6 are black.
6 are blue.

No light in the laundry room (assume pitch black).

What is the least number of socks you need to remove to make sure you have a matched pair?
3
 
This question gets 85% of the people I interview for any IT job-

12 socks in a dryer.
6 are black.
6 are blue.

No light in the laundry room (assume pitch black).

What is the least number of socks you need to remove to make sure you have a matched pair?
If you want to be technical, one could already be wearing matching socks when they enter the room, take nothing yet still have a matched pair.
 
yes, 3

Possible combinations of 3

1 black, 2 blue
1 blue, 2 black
3 blue
3 black

It's interesting how complex people try to make that.
I had one guy doing statistics and probability percentage.
...and several that said "all 12".
 
yes, 3

Possible combinations of 3

1 black, 2 blue
1 blue, 2 black
3 blue
3 black

It's interesting how complex people try to make that.
I had one guy doing statistics and probability percentage.
...and several that said "all 12".

My favorite interview question is one where I present the output of "ps aux" from a system I had to work on. It was being run by some silly professor who wouldn't let me update it until it was too late. This was when buffer overflows were common. If you know what you're talking about, you'd see the issue as fast as I had originally saw it and know exactly what the next move was. To date, only one person has spotted the issue but didn't know the "why" or it's significance. It's rather sad when people can't even describe the general file system layout of a *nix box and claim to have a CompSci degree.

I don't actually expect anyone to get it under the conditions of an interview but I want to see their process. It's a useful tool like the question you posed. Can the person see the actual problem at hand or are they easily lead astray and down the wrong rabbit hole.
 
My question reveals the thought process.

I'd rather not have folks who can't see the forest for the trees.

...and I'd much rather have someone who can think quickly on their feet, logically, than someone who has a bunch of book smarts.
 
My question reveals the thought process.

I'd rather not have folks who can't see the forest for the trees.

...and I'd much rather have someone who can think quickly on their feet, logically, than someone who has a bunch of book smarts.

Yup, and I'd also have someone who can admit they don't know the answer then to try and make something up.
 
3 brothers chip in 10 dollars each and buy a 30 dollar sweater for mom. After getting home, they realize that the sweater only costs 25.

They bring it back, and the store clerk refunds the $5 dollar over charge and each one of them gets a dollar back, with $2 left over.

So.....If they each paid $9 (3 x 9 is 27), and there is $2 left over (27+2 is 29), where is the extra dollar?
 
3 brothers chip in 10 dollars each and buy a 30 dollar sweater for mom. After getting home, they realize that the sweater only costs 25.

They bring it back, and the store clerk refunds the $5 dollar over charge and each one of them gets a dollar back, with $2 left over.

So.....If they each paid $9 (3 x 9 is 27), and there is $2 left over (27+2 is 29), where is the extra dollar?
30-5=25
25/3=8.33333333
8.33333333+1=9.3333333333
3*9.33333333333=28
28+2=30
 
The meme below has some misspelled words but the math question is interesting.
What did you come up with ?

View attachment 1716487933
lessee, each son has 7 sister, but they can be the same 7, so we got 7 girls
the girls have 3 kids each, so thats 21 grandbabies
add in the 5 sons, the 7 daughters and the origenal couple, i get 35
 
3 brothers chip in 10 dollars each and buy a 30 dollar sweater for mom. After getting home, they realize that the sweater only costs 25.

They bring it back, and the store clerk refunds the $5 dollar over charge and each one of them gets a dollar back, with $2 left over.

So.....If they each paid $9 (3 x 9 is 27), and there is $2 left over (27+2 is 29), where is the extra dollar?
theres the rub, they did not "each pay $9" they each paid $10, then they each got $1 back so there isnt an extra dollar...there is 2
 
This question gets 85% of the people I interview for any IT job-

12 socks in a dryer.
6 are black.
6 are blue.

No light in the laundry room (assume pitch black).

What is the least number of socks you need to remove to make sure you have a matched pair?
Remove from where?
 
yes, 3

Possible combinations of 3

1 black, 2 blue
1 blue, 2 black
3 blue
3 black

It's interesting how complex people try to make that.
I had one guy doing statistics and probability percentage.
...and several that said "all 12".
I wouldda said zero because there are already three matching pair in the dryer. Then just wait for the lectricity to come back on.
 
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from my days in forestry at Virginia Tech. A farmer staples a strand of barbed wire 4 feet off the ground to a row of trees. If the trees grow 6 inches a year, how high is the barbed wire after 6 years?
 
If you're looking at the math of it....7 feet tall?
If the tree grows 6 inches in height, not diameter every year, every 2 years you're adding a foot. Total height change is 3 feet in 6 years.
It was already four feet from the ground. 4 + 3 += 7.
It can't be that simple though. What is the trick?
 

Wouldn't the trick be knowing how a tree grows i.e. does it grow overall or only at the top? Personally I don't know, but if I was to guess, the barbed wire wouldn't change height at all.
 
3 brothers chip in 10 dollars each and buy a 30 dollar sweater for mom. After getting home, they realize that the sweater only costs 25.

They bring it back, and the store clerk refunds the $5 dollar over charge and each one of them gets a dollar back, with $2 left over.

So.....If they each paid $9 (3 x 9 is 27), and there is $2 left over (27+2 is 29), where is the extra dollar?
I hate these types of brain teasers. It's creating a problem that isn't really there. The $2 change should be deducted from the $27 as they are paying $25. Not added to the fictional $27. If they each paid $9 they would each be overpaying by $0.67.

To simplify it imagine the eldest son got the $2 because he was the biggest and strongest, now he's only paid $7, and the 2 younger brothers paid $9 each so now we're right at $25.
 
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