Image via WikipediaThe flight is full and you are last in line. What is the probability that you get to sit in your assigned seat?
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Random Seating is Awful
Image via WikipediaThe flight is full and you are last in line. What is the probability that you get to sit in your assigned seat?
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What, no answers to this one? Did I finally stump everyone?
ReplyDelete1/100!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm excited about the answer, that is supposed to be factorial.
1 in 2, or 50/50?
ReplyDeleteEither he gets to sit in his assigned seat or he doesn't??
What's the answer Mike????
ReplyDeleteI think its 1/100 for the following reason - if the first person on the plane chooses his own seat (1/100 chance) then every subsequent passenger will choose their own seat, and therefore the last person will get their own seat. Equally, if the first person sits in someone elses seat then each subsequent person has a reducing chance of getting their assigned seat until the last person has only one seat left to occupy, and 99/100 chance that their ticketed seat has gone.
But what's the right answer???
HAY! Look at the ticket, it tells you!
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of good explanations out there (see: http://spontaneoussymmetry.wordpress.com/category/puzzles/ or http://discuss.fogcreek.com/techInterview/default.asp?cmd=show&ixPost=468&ixReplies=9), but the answer is 1/2.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to work your way through it, start with just two people on the plane, then three. Look for the pattern.
Another way is to think about what's really happening (see http://flickeringtubelight.net/Tidbits/probablyIrrelevant.php and scroll down to the bottom).
1/100
ReplyDelete1/2
ReplyDeleteas the only possible cases at last are either he will get the seat or not!!!!!!
as simple as that