Engineer- OR, Mathematician test

"Lat705" wrote in message
...
To tell whether a person is an engineer, or a mathematics/ Operations
Reasearch

Assuming the red socks are all identical to each other, and the green socks
are all identical to each other, then your next withdrawal will give you a
pair. This is a certainty, not a probability.

Much more interesting is if you withdraw two green socks to start with, what
is the probability of getting a pair on the next withdrawal?

Or even, if you reach into an unknown sock drawer at random, what is the
probability of withdrawing a dildo?

Sock it to me baby!

TL
MC

An engineer, to vent his spleen,
got some socks in red and green,
he placed them in a simple box,
and proceeded then to withdraw socks.

The first sock he withdrew was red,
at which he frowned and scratched his head,
taking up his old slide rule,
he calculated long and cool,

Finally he made advances,
at working out withdrawal chances,
a green sock he then brought to light,
he calculated long, all night.

At last he dipped into the drawer,
and groped around for just one more,
but he could not prove his theory,
for it had got to dark to see,

Disillusioned, baffled, beat,
he placed two odd socks on his feet,
nobody noticed his odd way,
for socks at night, like cats, are grey.

An engineer or mathematician,
should stick to calculating fission,
for calcuilating socks is sad.
the results may turn out to be bad.

Should you wish to avoid his plight,
slide-ruling about all night,
then just ignore this colour cack,
make sure all your socks are black!

TL
MC

Lat705 wrote:
To tell whether a person is an engineer, or a mathematics/ Operations Reasearch
type, give them the following problem:

A box contained 50 red socks and 50 green socks. You withdrew two socks; one
green and one red. What is the probability of having a matching pair on the
next withdrawal?

I'd like to know who the hell has 50 pairs of socks -- all red and
green, no less. Santa Claus?

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Stan Gula" wrote in message
The question is too vague to generate a unique correct answer.

On further reflection, and in view of the responses thus far, I'd concede
that this is the correct answer.

Joe F.
(otherwise, I'll change my answer to 48/97.)

"Frank Reid" moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf wrote in message
...
A box contained 50 red socks and 50 green socks. You withdrew two
socks;
one
green and one red. What is the probability of having a matching pair on
the
next withdrawal?

If it is a quantum box, the mear fact of reaching inside has changed the
probabilities and the color of the socks.


And sizes, you forgot sizes.......

BTW, you're just guessing ;-)
.........aren't you?

/Roger
It is not possible to derive the theory of quantum mechanics ab inito, any
more than Euclid could have formulated his geometry without introducing
certain basic postulates. These are unprovable in themselves, but once
accepted their logical consequences lead to a theory of great predictive
power.

A box contained 50 red socks and 50 green socks. You withdrew two socks;
one
green and one red. What is the probability of having a matching pair on
the
next withdrawal?

The probability is 100%. No matter which color sock is withdrawn it will
match one of the two already withdrawn. Thus, a matching pair.

--
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Dark Star

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm

OK. Let's have a show of hands for who did it using math??

Lou

"Lat705" wrote in message
...
To tell whether a person is an engineer, or a mathematics/ Operations
Reasearch
type, give them the following problem:

A box contained 50 red socks and 50 green socks. You withdrew two socks;
one
green and one red. What is the probability of having a matching pair on
the
next withdrawal?

after sweating blood in my algebra class all semester- i don't even want to
LOOK AT THAT ****!!!

Snake- ;-)

"Lat705" wrote in message
...
To tell whether a person is an engineer, or a mathematics/ Operations
Reasearch
type, give them the following problem:

A box contained 50 red socks and 50 green socks. You withdrew two socks;
one
green and one red. What is the probability of having a matching pair on
the
next withdrawal?
it's both a trick question (see slenon's response), and impossible to
answer uncategorically (see gula's response). just as one example: if you
can see the interior of the box, even if there is a requirement to withdraw
*two* new socks, a cogent "picker" will follow his eyes and select another
matched pair, and the answer is clearly 100%. if you can't see inside the
box, and the socks are randomly placed, then it becomes a purely
mathematical question to be easily solved by the law of probabilities.

i reckon.

wayno

Lou asks:
OK. Let's have a show of hands for who did it using math??

avoiding math like the plague, I came up with 100%( I think StevL provided the
working rationale I worked from)
Tom