Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!kaufman From: kaufman@uiucdcs.UUCP (kaufman ) Newsgroups: net.puzzle Subject: Re: Balls in Bowl (no correct answers ye - (nf) Message-ID: <5752@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Sun, 19-Feb-84 22:26:46 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5752 Posted: Sun Feb 19 22:26:46 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Feb-84 03:46:02 EST Lines: 22 #R:pucc-i:-21000:uiucdcs:40700006:000:1074 uiucdcs!kaufman Feb 19 16:43:00 1984 There are two ways to look at this problem, each of which guarantees a different answer. First assume all balls can be numbered, with balls 1-100 going in the first time, then balls 101-200, then balls 201-300, and so on. Solution 1: The first ball removed is ball 1; the second one removed is ball 2; and so on. Ball n will be removed at 1/n before noon ==> all balls put in will be removed before noon. Therefore, no balls in the bowl at noon. Solution 2: The first ball removed is ball 100; the second one is ball 200, and so on. 99 out of every 100 balls will never be removed and since we put balls in an infinite number of times, an infinite number of balls will be in the bowl at noon. Those are the "normal" ways to look at the problem. Of course, for any k < 100 we could say the first ball removed is ball k+1, the second is k+2, etc. At noon, only k balls: balls 1-k will be in the bowl. TAKE YOUR PICK! Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman)