The Car Talk Puzzler (nongambling)

[uuDevil]

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I'm not sure I understand the structure...let's say David is the 1st passenger who dropped his boarding pass and picks a seat at random.

What happens when Mason (who was 27th in line) goes to his seat and David is sitting in his seat? Does he, then, pick another seat and the process continues?

[/ QUOTE ]

So there is a poker application?

I think this situation may be undefined. However (don't tell the mathematicians), if you cancel the infinities, I think you'll still get the right answer. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[GuyOnTilt]

It seems like the answer should be 1:1. As soon as someone picks your seat as a replacement for their own or picks the first person's original seat, no one else will be misseated. So when it's your turn to board, the last seat remaining should either be the one you were assigned to, or the one the first passenger was assigned to. I'm not positive though, but that's what my head wants to believe... I can't think of a scenario where both yours and the first passenger's seat are both taken when you board. So yeah, I'll pick 1:1.

GoT

[RiverTheNuts]

Correct.

If someone's seat is gone theyll randomly pick another... unless they pick yours or the first persons, this chain will continue. If no one has picked yours or the first persons when the 2nd to last person boards, its 50/50

If someone has picked yours or the first persons, then every passenger after this will have his/her seat available, so it will still be 50/50 as to if that person chose yours or the initial person's