Brain Teasers
Another Day at Band Camp
Probability
Probability puzzles require you to weigh all the possibilities and pick the most likely outcome.Probability
Mogmatt was in a drill down at Band Camp. This is where everyone gets into a block and tries to execute commands given by the drum major. If you miss a command, you must fall out. The last one left wins. Mogmatt is an exceptional marcher and will only miss one of every 30 commands. Unfortunately for him, so will all the other 149 band members. What is his probability of winning?
Hint
If everyone misses a command, everyone who missed it is still in.Answer
1 in 150.Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
isnt this like math or probablility?
100% origional!
Actually, your odds of winning is 50%. You either will or you won't. The probabilty is calculated based on the total number of participants.
Yogi, if you think that's true, then would you place 2-1 odds on him winning? I would place a big bet with you if you did that... odds are 150-1.
I think Phily means fair odds are 149:1...
Ouch. I said 1 in 149. Whoops.
It's sort of a trick question, because you get rushed into an intuitive answer.
It's sort of a trick question, because you get rushed into an intuitive answer.
Why not 1 in 149 ?
There are 149 OTHER members, for a total of 150. If each is equally likely, it is 1/150 (or 149:1 odds), not 1/149.
Ouch!! didn't count Mogmatt with the other 149, so I got 1/149.
and I DO marching band!
The hint (that if everyone makes a mistake it isn't counted) should be in the main text I think as it's an extra condition. If there was no such proviso the probability of a given person being the last would be slightly lower as there would also be cases (mainly when there are only a few left) where everyone is out and there is no winner. Not sure how to calculate that, would one of the maths whizzes try?
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