Friday Riddle

nudgie
nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Remember NO googling or searching the internet allowed and good luck!!!!!

RIDDLE: A line of 100 airline passengers is waiting to board a plane. They each hold a ticket to one of the 100 seats on that flight. (For convenience, let's say that the nth passenger in line has a ticket for the seat number n.)
Unfortunately, the first person in line is crazy, and will ignore the seat number on their ticket, picking a random seat to occupy. All of the other passengers are quite normal, and will go to their proper seat unless it is already occupied. If it is occupied, they will then find a free seat to sit in, at random.
What is the probability that the last (100th) person to board the plane will sit in their proper seat (#100)?

Comments

  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #2
    Well
    Just off the top of my head I'd say chances are 50/50. Either they will or either they won't end up in their assigned seat! So, 50/50 or 1 in 2 chance.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #3
    hmmm
    I don't know how many crazy people they allow on flights? 100%
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #4
    Dunno.
    It seems hard, because the 100th person might be prevented from sitting in seat #100 in so many different ways. Any of the other 99 passengers might sit in seat #100 before him, and the 99 probabilities are all different. Good luck.

    --Greg
  • dixiegirl
    dixiegirl Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #5
    PGLGreg said:

    Dunno.
    It seems hard, because the 100th person might be prevented from sitting in seat #100 in so many different ways. Any of the other 99 passengers might sit in seat #100 before him, and the 99 probabilities are all different. Good luck.

    --Greg

    Hm?
    I have no clue. What's the answer?
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #6
    dixiegirl said:

    Hm?
    I have no clue. What's the answer?

    Dunno
    I have no idea.

    --Greg
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #7
    Going with
    100%

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