In the quiz show "Jeopardy!", three contestants compete for the right to return and play the following day (and oodles of cash, of course). The winner moves on and the losers are replaced with two fresh faces. The winner occupies the leftmost lectern and let's say the returning champ from the previous week is named "Bob". Consider these two scenarios:
A: Bob continues his winning ways and remains champ Monday through Friday, retaining his spot at the first lectern.
B: Bob loses on Monday and is replaced with a new champ (Mary) who will occupy the first lectern when returning on Tuesday. Mary loses, and as it turns out no one is able to win two days in a row. This results in the first lectern being home to five different contestants Monday through Friday.
With this in mind, what is the minimum and maximum number of contestants needed to field a game of "Jeopardy!" for one week?
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A:
After giving it some thought, the answer became obvious and indisputable. At first I thought it was strange that regardless if Bob remains champ and faces two new challengers each day, or five different champs face two new challengers, the number is the same. But that's the way life goes. It takes eleven players to field a game of "Jeopardy!" for one week.
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ReplyDeleteJan, while theoretically possible (though highly unlikely) I am looking for a solution based on the two aforementioned scenarios.
DeleteCongrats on auditions. I just took the test on 3/28 and I think it is also highly unlikely that I'll get a call any time soon. WOW!!!!!
Jryy, vs gurer ner ab gvrf, lbh arrq 2 arj cynlref rirel qnl, sbe rknpgyl 10 arj cynlref rnpu jrrx (cyhf gur punzc sebz gur cerivbhf jrrx).
ReplyDeleteCheck out the "Jeopardy!" games for March 16, 2007, and, June 12, 1998 (on j-archive, e.g.). Of course, a streak of such games is unlikely
ReplyDeleteJan's second answer is what I came up with. I was far too lazy to consider any "unlikely scenarios"...besides, I'm not all that familiar with the rules of Jeopardy vis-a-vis ties and negative scores because...well, let's just say I'm not.
ReplyDeleteI did finally learn today that there's a place online where one can decode/encode ROT13 text.
I wonder if there's more to this week's title than just a play on the "form of a question" conceit...
{I recall Gene Shalit once buzzing in and blurting out "the NBC peacock"; to which Art Fleming replied: "Question, please!"; to which Shalit (refusing to play along) responded: "Has anyone seen the NBC peacock running around here?
I digressed...}
Perhaps the title refers to a little bit of "counterintuitivity" in the solution; or perhaps Tommy plans to astound us with a precise definition and etymology of "oodles".
Perhaps I'll contemplate these matters while watching the bird feeder webcam.
Whadya think; some kinda dove? Honestly, I dunno.
Delete