[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

1342.0. "First one to find the cookie wins!" by DECWET::BISHOP (Yakudoshi!) Fri Nov 30 1990 16:20

A friend in Japan sent me this a long time ago.  

Please don't haggle over assumptions; just make the obvious ideal ones (point
size cookie, point size person, etc.)

Avery

> Newsgroups: sci.math
> Path: decvax!mcnc!uvaarpa!haven!rutgers!apple!bloom-beacon!math.mit.edu
> From: drw@math.mit.edu (Dale R. Worley)
> Groups: sci.math
> Subject: Problem
> Message-ID: <14360@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
> Date: 17 Sep 89 03:21:58 GMT
> Sender: daemon@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
> Lines: 9
> 
> A cookie is hidden somewhere on the real line, randomly with a
> gaussian distribution (mean 0, s.d. 1).  You are flown in by
> helicopter to a point on the line of your choosing.  You can walk in
> either direction on the line at a constant rate, and can turn around
> when you choose.  What strategy minimizes the expected time to find
> the cookie?
> 
> Dale
> dwr@math.mit.edu

-- 
Hitoshi Doi  
doi@jrdvax.enet.dec.com | doi@jrdvax.dec.com | decwrl!jrdvax.enet!doi
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1342.1chomp chomp munch munch COOKIE!! :-)GUESS::DERAMODan D'EramoFri Nov 30 1990 16:443
        See topic 1122. :-)
        
        Dan
1342.2Woops! Should I delete .0?DECWET::BISHOPYakudoshi!Fri Nov 30 1990 17:080
1342.3JARETH::EDPAlways mount a scratch monkey.Mon Dec 03 1990 11:559
    Re .2:
    
    I suggest leaving this topic here.  I think it is beneficial to direct
    newcomers to interesting problems (which any recurring problem must
    be), and oldtimers may appreciate the memory too, or even see something
    new in the problem.
    
    
    				-- edp