Your friend pulls out a perfectly circular table and a sack of quarters, and proposes a game.
"We'll take turns putting a quarter on the table," he says. "Each quarter must lay flat on the table, and cannot sit on top of any other quarters. The last person to successfully put a quarter on the table wins."
He gives you the choice to go first or second. What should you do, and what should your strategy be to win?
go second
ReplyDelete1/4 of the table at a time, you would be the 4th and final quarter.
Go first
ReplyDeleteBut where oh where do I put that first quarter ;)
Hmm...I'm sure there's a mathematical aspect of this that I don't understand, but what I would do would depend on the size of the table. What if it was only big enough for one quarter? I would go first. But if it was only big enough for two, I would go second...after that, it gets complicated.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait, I get it. It's a play on words.
ReplyDeleteThe best strategy (that I know of) is to go first. Place the quarter in the direct center of the table. Then, wherever your opponent goes, place your quarter on the opposite side, in the same spot.
ReplyDeleteThat way you're always going to have someplace to put a quarter down.
This is simple. Aperantly you'd have to use mathmaticle terms to this. First you'd have to measure the table, then the quarter, then subtract the measurements and use the remaining numbers to determin on if you sould go first or second. Finally count howmany quarters there are. DUH!
ReplyDeletedosent mean quarters as in money.
ReplyDeletethere are four quarter on the table so you would pick second