(10 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5)There are 10 black socks and 10 white socks in a drawer.
Now you have to go out wearing your shoes.
So how many maximum number of times you need to remove the sock from drawer so that you can go out?
You can remove only 1 sock at a time.
Obviously, you can’t go outside wearing different socks!
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here all black socks are same and all white socks are same
first sock can either be white or black, lets say it is white, now next sock can be white or black, if it is white – you have the pair or if it is black, take out one more sock, in either case white or black you will have a pair. so in the worst case you need to take out socks 3 times.
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pigeon hole principle
At first time if both are of different then pick another on that will match with the two u r having. Ans is 2
max 3 times –
ALGO :-
1) suppose u draw ur first sock and it is white
2) now u draw another sock which is black
3) now u make a third draw which will be either black or white
i.e ur have a pair in atmax 3 draws and this is the soln 🙂
My apologies for wrong post above, Ok correct, its 3 max. because
Assume 1st draw: white
2nd draw: if its white, we got pair, else draw one more
3rd draw: if its white, we got pair(with draw one), if its black, we got pair again(with 2nd draw)
Cheers!
I dont agree with max 3, What if you keep getting white/Black sock everytime u draw it from drawer until colour is exausted. as already answered above,
in worst case it has to be 11.
And if u are lucky enough, its jsut 2 times, best case
They never mentioned as keeping the socks in box again.. so its max 3….
11 times.
at most 3 times , min 2 attemps
IF matching pair to be considered….max is 16
yes,maxmimum will 3 time becoz in any way if you remove 3 sock one by one
you will get either two black or two white..
suppose 1time(black or white),2 time(B or W),3 time(B orW)
min 2 and max is 12
lets suppose he decided to wear white (or black) socks and he start picking socks and he gets first two socks white (or black ).so total is 2.
again he decided to wear white (or black) socks and he start picking socks and he gets first 10 socks black (or white) and after that he will definitely get 2 white socks (or black) socks ,so total is 12.
No it’s nowhere written that he should predecide there color of the socks.. He can wear any color socks but the conditions are it should be same color and u r allowed to pick one socks at a time
5 max…
depends…if we can put the black sock in the white socks drawer..
3………………
maximum is 11
me too, the question is maximum. it must be 11
12 not 11
also: I wear sandals as much as possible in the summer- enabling me to not wear socks and freeing my brain up for more important puzzles I’ll never actually need to solve 😉
3.
there’s gotta be two of one color regardless of which it is.
(P.S. problems like this are easily avoided by simply buying ALL the same kind of socks… You don’t have to fold ’em up, worry about pairs, figure out if they match, and if none match- decide which is the most acceptable pair of mismatches, etc.)
3 max.
(BLACK) – (WHITE) – (BLACK / WHITE)
(WHITE) – (BLACK) – (BLACK / WHITE)
MAX – 3 times
MIN – 2 times
Minimum is 2 and maximum is 11
2 ? how?
10 times u can pick the socks of same color (if ur luck is that bad). After 10 picks, that color is exhausted and so 11th pick has to be another color and u r ready to go
lol… it takes at most 3 times
if u pick the sock of same color than u r good to go..
why picking all 10 socks
ans is 3 max
You r right for Max equal to 11,
But that is when you want the socks of different colors , so for even for first 10 trials you select the same color you need the 11th sock so that u have one pair of socks with different color(this unlucky case).
For this minimum would be 2(lucky case)
….But the thing is question is asking for same color socks for going out so even if u select first 2
different the 3rd will be full and final to make one match pair !
look at the above comment!