Unsolvable Puzzle Challenge #1 - sci.math

Message from discussion Unsolvable Puzzle Challenge #1

James Waldby

View profile

More options Nov 7 2009, 2:05 am

Newsgroups: sci.math

From: James Waldby <n...@no.no>

Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:05:16 -0600

Local: Sat, Nov 7 2009 2:05 am

Subject: Re: Unsolvable Puzzle Challenge #1

  Forward
  | Print
  | View thread
  | Show original
  | Report this message
  | Find messages by this author
  

On Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:15:02 -0500, sarah wrote:

...

> A man has 4967 coins. Suppose he divides those coins into several coin
> pouches so that if you ask for any whole number of coins between 1 and
> 4967, he can give you the proper amount by giving you a certain number
> of pouches. What is the minimum number of pouches required for him to do
> this?

...

Here are two relevant articles:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_number_system#Counting_in_binary>
and <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeonhole_principle>. Apply the
former in the obvious way. To apply the latter, compute the total
number of different combinations of 12 pouches and compare that
number to 4967.

Regarding Achava's question about the denominations of the coins,
that seems irrelevant because the question is about numbers of
whole coins, rather than dollars, rupees, rubles, or whatever.

--
jiw

Forward