There are 100 black socks and 100 white socks in the wardrobe. Your task is to draw the minimum number of socks at random to be sure you have a pair of a single colour. How many socks should you draw?

This is the easiest example of a problem that can be solved by using the Pigeon Hole principal, which says that if there are (N+1) pigeons to fit in N holes, at least one hole will have two or more pigeons. Hence, if you pick three socks to come with two colour categories, at least one category will have two or more socks, i.e. a pair is guaranteed with either a black or white colour.

Interview Questions Brain Teasers Pair of Socks

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Pair of Socks

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