• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 12:48
CEST 18:48
KST 01:48
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
BGE Stara Zagora 2025: Info & Preview27Code S RO12 Preview: GuMiho, Bunny, SHIN, ByuN3The Memories We Share - Facing the Final(?) GSL46Code S RO12 Preview: Cure, Zoun, Solar, Creator4[ASL19] Finals Preview: Daunting Task30
Community News
[BSL20] ProLeague: Bracket Stage & Dates9GSL Ro4 and Finals moved to Sunday June 15th12Weekly Cups (May 27-June 1): ByuN goes back-to-back0EWC 2025 Regional Qualifier Results26Code S RO12 Results + RO8 Groups (2025 Season 2)3
StarCraft 2
General
The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation BGE Stara Zagora 2025: Info & Preview Magnus Carlsen and Fabi review Clem's chess game. Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing GSL Ro4 and Finals moved to Sunday June 15th
Tourneys
Bellum Gens Elite: Stara Zagora 2025 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament SOOPer7s Showmatches 2025 Master Swan Open (Global Bronze-Master 2) $5,100+ SEL Season 2 Championship (SC: Evo)
Strategy
[G] Darkgrid Layout Simple Questions Simple Answers [G] PvT Cheese: 13 Gate Proxy Robo
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 476 Charnel House Mutation # 475 Hard Target Mutation # 474 Futile Resistance Mutation # 473 Cold is the Void
Brood War
General
Mihu vs Korea Players Statistics BGH auto balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion [BSL20] ProLeague: Bracket Stage & Dates Will foreigners ever be able to challenge Koreans?
Tourneys
[ASL19] Grand Finals NA Team League 6/8/2025 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL20] ProLeague Bracket Stage - Day 2
Strategy
I am doing this better than progamers do. [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread What do you want from future RTS games? Path of Exile Nintendo Switch Thread Mechabellum
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
LiquidLegends to reintegrate into TL.net
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0 Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Vape Nation Thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
Maru Fan Club Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Korean Music Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Cleaning My Mechanical Keyboard
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Cognitive styles x game perf…
TrAiDoS
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Heero Yuy & the Tax…
KrillinFromwales
I was completely wrong ab…
jameswatts
Need Your Help/Advice
Glider
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Poker
Nebuchad
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 21428 users

The fake coin problem - Page 2

Blogs > Byo
Post a Reply
Prev 1 2 3 4 Next All
goldrush
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
Canada709 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 00:39:19
April 24 2009 00:37 GMT
#21
(ABCDEF) versus (GHIJKL)

(ABGH versus CDIJ)

This time, look at the pairs?

ex: ABCDEF is heavier, ABGH is heavier. Then the odd one out is one of AB, measure.

DAMNIT there are always the lighter-lighter options which increases the number of required weighs, doesn't work.
KwarK
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States42419 Posts
April 24 2009 00:37 GMT
#22
On April 24 2009 09:33 OmgIRok wrote:


1a) weigh 5 coins on each scale, if there is an imbalance, then move on to step 2a
1b) same as 1a except they both weigh the same
2b) weigh the remaining 2 coins

2a) keep taking out 1 coin from both piles until the weight is the same,
3) weigh the 2 coins that you took out from the pile before it made it even weight

2b tells you one coin is heavier than the other. Which is the fake?
ModeratorThe angels have the phone box
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
April 24 2009 00:39 GMT
#23
On April 24 2009 09:37 goldrush wrote:
(ABCDEF) versus (GHIJKL)

(ABGH versus CDIJ)

This time, look at the pairs?

ex: ABCDEF is heavier, ABGH is heavier. Then the odd one out is one of AB, measure.

in your example, J could be lighter and could be the fake
posting on liquid sites in current year
Tyxiquale
Profile Joined September 2008
Australia424 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 00:58:08
April 24 2009 00:55 GMT
#24
man, I can't believe all these replies, and not a single person has got it yet. Okay, this is the answer.

1. Weigh 3 balls against 3 balls. If they are the same, move to 2a, if they are different, 2b. You now have the information of 6 balls that are normal.

2a) You take 3 balls from one end off the scale, and grab 3 "unidentified" balls from your other pile, and weigh them. If different to 3 normal balls, then it must be in that group of 3. If they are the same, then the mystery ball must be in the final 3 balls. MOST IMPORTANTLY - you know whether the ball is heavier or lighter.

2b) You take 3 of these balls and weigh it against 3 identified balls. If they are the same, the mystery ball must be in the other 3 balls that you weighed in your first go. If not, they are in the pile you just measured. AND you know whether the ball is heavier or lighter.

3. Regardless of which method you have taken, you have now identified 3 balls, of which 1 of them is the mystery ball. AND most importantly, the information of whether it is heavier or lighter.

As such, the final weigh would be 1 ball against another in your group of 3. The rest is trivial.

That’s it folks.

The answer is 3 regardless of whether it is heavier or lighter.

Amen.
Dumb people don't know that they're dumb.
Crunchums
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States11143 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:02:17
April 24 2009 00:57 GMT
#25
Not sure what you mean by the least number of times - do you mean on average or do you mean the best worst case scenario? Here are two algorithms.
I can get a worst case of 4 with the second one:
+ Show Spoiler +

Add one coin to each side, then check if each side weighs the same. Repeat this until the two sides don't weigh the same or until you weigh 5 coins against 5 coins and they still weigh the same. Once that happens, set aside the two most recently added coins or the two remaining coins if there are only two left and remove all the coins from the scale. Pick one of the two coins you set aside and weigh it against another coin that's not the other coin you set aside. If these two coins weigh the same, the fake coin is the other coin you set aside. If they do not it is the coin that you had set aside that is now on the weight scale. (This algorithm will also work with the same efficiency if you instead start with all the coins on the scale and remove them two at a time, one from each side, until it changes from not the same weight to the same weight and not measure if there are two left.)
# of Measurements:
Maximum - 6
Minimum - 2
Average - 3.3333...

Put 3 coins on side A and 3 coins on side B and measure.
If the two sides are the same weight:
Add one coin to each side and measure. If the two sides are still the same weight, repeat this step unless there are now 10 coins on the scale, in which case set aside the 2 remaining coins. If the two sides are no longer the same weight, set aside the two coins you just added to each side.
If the two sides are not the same weight:
Remove one coin from each side and measure. If the two sides are still not the same weight, repeat this step unless there are now 2 coins on the scale, in which case set those 2 coins aside. If the two sides are now the same weight, set aside the two coins you just removed from each side.
Remove all coins from the scale. Pick one of the two coins you set aside and weigh it against another coin that's not the other coin you set aside. If these two coins weigh the same, the fake coin is the other coin you set aside. If they do not it is the coin that you had set aside that is now on the weight scale.

# of Measurements:
Maximum - 4
Minimum - 3
Average - complicated
brood war for life, brood war forever
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
April 24 2009 00:58 GMT
#26
tyxiquale, use ABC DEF GHI JKL notation please, i think there's a flaw in your 2b but it's too ambiguous for me to evaluate
posting on liquid sites in current year
TheYango
Profile Joined September 2008
United States47024 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:00:05
April 24 2009 00:58 GMT
#27
On April 24 2009 09:55 Tyxiquale wrote:
2a) You take 3 balls from one end off the scale, and grab 3 "unidentified" balls from your other pile, and weigh them. If different to 3 normal balls, then it must be in that group of 3. If they are the same, then the mystery ball must be in the final 3 balls. MOST IMPORTANTLY - you know whether the ball is heavier or lighter.

Uhh... HOW?

ABC = DEF
ABC = GHI
How does that tell you whether the fake is lighter or heavier?
Moderator
Byo
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
Canada205 Posts
April 24 2009 00:58 GMT
#28
hint+ Show Spoiler +
in the optimum solution, there is a case where the fake coin is not weigh'd
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 00:59:59
April 24 2009 00:59 GMT
#29
On April 24 2009 09:58 TheYango wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 24 2009 09:55 Tyxiquale wrote:
2a) You take 3 balls from one end off the scale, and grab 3 "unidentified" balls from your other pile, and weigh them. If they are the same, then the mystery ball must be in the final 3 balls. AND you know whether the ball is heavier or lighter.

Uhh... HOW?

ABC = DEF
ABC = GHI
How does that tell you whether the fake is lighter or heavier?

that flaw too

what a joke lol
posting on liquid sites in current year
Tyxiquale
Profile Joined September 2008
Australia424 Posts
April 24 2009 01:00 GMT
#30
On April 24 2009 09:58 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
tyxiquale, use ABC DEF GHI JKL notation please, i think there's a flaw in your 2b but it's too ambiguous for me to evaluate


Sorry for not using that notation, cos I cbf..

but there is no flaw. re-read it again. Read between the lines of what I skipped cos I thought it was too obvious.

Dumb people don't know that they're dumb.
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
April 24 2009 01:01 GMT
#31
On April 24 2009 10:00 Tyxiquale wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 24 2009 09:58 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
tyxiquale, use ABC DEF GHI JKL notation please, i think there's a flaw in your 2b but it's too ambiguous for me to evaluate


Sorry for not using that notation, cos I cbf..

but there is no flaw. re-read it again. Read between the lines of what I skipped cos I thought it was too obvious.


your signature is especially ironic, even more so since you used "their" instead of "they're"
posting on liquid sites in current year
TheYango
Profile Joined September 2008
United States47024 Posts
April 24 2009 01:03 GMT
#32
On April 24 2009 10:00 Tyxiquale wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 24 2009 09:58 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
tyxiquale, use ABC DEF GHI JKL notation please, i think there's a flaw in your 2b but it's too ambiguous for me to evaluate


Sorry for not using that notation, cos I cbf..

but there is no flaw. re-read it again. Read between the lines of what I skipped cos I thought it was too obvious.


Apparently not, because Byo would have recognized your answer as correct if it were. -_-

You still haven't addressed the situation I raised.
Moderator
ghostWriter
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States3302 Posts
April 24 2009 01:04 GMT
#33
On April 24 2009 10:01 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 24 2009 10:00 Tyxiquale wrote:
On April 24 2009 09:58 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
tyxiquale, use ABC DEF GHI JKL notation please, i think there's a flaw in your 2b but it's too ambiguous for me to evaluate


Sorry for not using that notation, cos I cbf..

but there is no flaw. re-read it again. Read between the lines of what I skipped cos I thought it was too obvious.


your signature is especially ironic, even more so since you used "their" instead of "they're"


I'm pretty sure it was done intentionally so that some high school student with a misguided sense of superiority can try to call him out on it.
Sullifam
sigma_x
Profile Joined March 2008
Australia285 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:06:17
April 24 2009 01:05 GMT
#34
tyx is correct. The final weight of 1 ball against any of the other (two in your group) determines the solution.
TheYango
Profile Joined September 2008
United States47024 Posts
April 24 2009 01:09 GMT
#35
On April 24 2009 10:05 sigma_x wrote:
tyx is correct. The final weight of 1 ball against any of the other (two in your group) determines the solution.

Ok, hold on. I'll carry out an example using his procedure. I follow it as well as i can.
Balls are labeled A-L.

Suppose you weigh ABC against DEF. They are the same.

Step 2a says you then take GHI and weigh it against ABC. They are also the same. This says that the fake is in JKL. However, you don't know whether the fake is heavier or lighter because you've weighed 9 things that are all the same.

Step 3 says weigh J with K. They are different. You still don't know which is fake without making another measurement.
Moderator
Crunchums
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States11143 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:13:33
April 24 2009 01:09 GMT
#36
tyx is correct he just didn't explain very well
edit: nevermind he's just got another way to get 4
brood war for life, brood war forever
TheYango
Profile Joined September 2008
United States47024 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:11:33
April 24 2009 01:10 GMT
#37
On April 24 2009 10:09 Crunchums wrote:
tyx is correct he just didn't explain very well

Then explain it better, or tell me how the situation I raised is resolvable. I followed his steps, and in a worst-case scenario, it requires one more measurement.

For God's sake, people, if someone doesn't understand, then explain WHY they're wrong, instead of just saying "tyx is correct, read more carefully."
Moderator
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
April 24 2009 01:11 GMT
#38
On April 24 2009 10:04 ghostWriter wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 24 2009 10:01 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
On April 24 2009 10:00 Tyxiquale wrote:
On April 24 2009 09:58 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
tyxiquale, use ABC DEF GHI JKL notation please, i think there's a flaw in your 2b but it's too ambiguous for me to evaluate


Sorry for not using that notation, cos I cbf..

but there is no flaw. re-read it again. Read between the lines of what I skipped cos I thought it was too obvious.


your signature is especially ironic, even more so since you used "their" instead of "they're"


I'm pretty sure it was done intentionally so that some high school student with a misguided sense of superiority can try to call him out on it.

it's not much of a trap like affect/effect would be

why are you defending this clown
posting on liquid sites in current year
Byo
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
Canada205 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:19:12
April 24 2009 01:12 GMT
#39
tyx,

if weight 1 is same, and 2a is same....... and in 3, the weight are different, then which ball is the fake one?

Edit:

hint:

+ Show Spoiler +
its significant whither A is > B or A is < B
Gliche
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
United States811 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-24 01:18:12
April 24 2009 01:15 GMT
#40
edit: damn missed that part
KT fighting~!! | Designing things is fun!
Prev 1 2 3 4 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Fire Grow Cup
15:00
#10 - Playoffs
CranKy Ducklings281
MindelVK81
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Hui .284
Vindicta 116
BRAT_OK 114
MindelVK 81
EmSc Tv 1
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 4805
Rain 2568
Horang2 637
firebathero 204
Aegong 128
PianO 91
TY 70
Hyun 69
sSak 35
Terrorterran 21
[ Show more ]
GoRush 17
yabsab 16
Dota 2
Gorgc8464
qojqva2915
boxi98397
XcaliburYe296
League of Legends
JimRising 275
Counter-Strike
fl0m6694
olofmeister3790
Super Smash Bros
C9.Mang02458
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor285
Other Games
tarik_tv70885
FrodaN1149
mouzStarbuck357
Fuzer 316
ArmadaUGS114
XaKoH 101
KnowMe96
Happy85
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Secondary Stream202
Other Games
BasetradeTV103
StarCraft 2
EmSc Tv 1
EmSc2Tv 1
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Adnapsc2 28
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 6758
• masondota2100
League of Legends
• Jankos2568
Other Games
• Shiphtur254
Upcoming Events
BSL: ProLeague
1h 12m
HBO vs Doodle
spx vs Tech
DragOn vs Hawk
Dewalt vs TerrOr
Replay Cast
7h 12m
Replay Cast
1d 7h
Replay Cast
1d 17h
WardiTV Invitational
1d 18h
WardiTV Invitational
1d 18h
GSL Code S
2 days
Rogue vs GuMiho
Maru vs Solar
Online Event
3 days
GSL Code S
3 days
herO vs Zoun
Classic vs Bunny
The PondCast
3 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
4 days
WardiTV Invitational
4 days
Korean StarCraft League
5 days
CranKy Ducklings
5 days
WardiTV Invitational
5 days
Cheesadelphia
5 days
GSL Code S
6 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-06-05
BGE Stara Zagora 2025
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
BSL Season 20
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
NPSL S3
Rose Open S1
CSL Season 17: Qualifier 2
2025 GSL S2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
ECL Season 49: Europe
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025
YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025
PGL Bucharest 2025
BLAST Open Spring 2025

Upcoming

CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
SEL Season 2 Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
HSC XXVII
Championship of Russia 2025
Murky Cup #2
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.