Hacker News
- A classic puzzle, old Microsoft interview question http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/02/22/one-mile-south-one-mile-east-one-mile-north-a-classic-puzzle/ 2 comments
- A paradoxical math ratio http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/02/01/broken-sticks-puzzle-and-a-seemingly-paradoxical-ratio/ 21 comments
- Quick puzzle: how long to get to heaven? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/11/23/quick-puzzle-how-long-to-get-to-heaven/ 13 comments
- The necktie paradox http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2009/12/15/the-necktie-paradox/ 8 comments
- Baseball’s Home Plate Is Impossible Mathematically https://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2017/10/12/baseballs-home-plate-is-impossible-mathematically/ 42 comments baseball
- The "hardest geometry problem in the world" that Max solves in RUSHMORE is for the area of an ellipse http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/12/15/video-the-hardest-geometry-problem-in-the-world/ 4 comments math
- Let’s Prove e = 2.718… Is An Irrational Number! (3 Methods) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2015/06/18/lets-prove-e-2-718-is-irrational-3-methods/ 10 comments math
- MLB World Series Math (classic puzzle). How would you make an even payout bet on the entire series, if you can only make bets on individual games? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/10/20/monday-puzzle-even-betting-on-the-mlb-world-series/#.vexrs_nf98e 3 comments math
- The best game theory books (guide based on 7 years of reading classic and contemporary texts) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/09/02/guide-to-game-theory-books/#.van3rvldv8e 5 comments math
- The Smartest Decision in NBA Finals History (1976) - Would Any Coach/Player Today Be Smart Enough To Do This? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/06/10/game-theory-tuesdays-the-smartest-decision-in-nba-finals-history/#.u5_vc_ldv8e 13 comments nba
- Why NBA star players in foul trouble should not be benched: if fouls are time invariant, then resting them is first-order stochastically dominated by playing them (r/statistics crosspost) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/05/06/game-theory-tuesdays-why-basketball-coaches-shouldnt-bench-players-in-foul-trouble/#.u2vilihev64 137 comments nba
- Classic interview question: one number is removed from an unsorted array with numbers 1, 2, ..., 100. How can you find the missing number efficiently? What if TWO numbers are missing? (x-post from /math) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/02/24/monday-puzzle-find-the-missing-number/#.u1wkrfldv8e 137 comments compsci
- Microsoft/Google interview question: one number is removed from an array 1, 2, ..., 100. How can you find the missing number efficiently? What if TWO numbers are missing? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/02/24/monday-puzzle-find-the-missing-number/#.uwrd2fldv8e 219 comments math
- There are three piles of coins. You can transfer coins between two piles (say A to B) only if you can double the coins in pile B. With unlimited moves, can you always zero out one of the piles? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/02/10/monday-puzzle-three-piles-of-coins/ 5 comments math
- The power of symmetry in game theory: solving 21 simultaneous equations in seconds (by reducing a 9x12 game matrix to a 1x1 matrix) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/01/14/game-theory-tuesdays-solving-a-12x9-game-in-seconds/#.utlpnbdnzaq 16 comments math
- Puzzle: Two players choose numbers between 1, 2, …, N. The highest number wins, unless the lower number is exactly one less, in which case the lower number wins. Ties force a repeat. What's the best strategy? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2014/01/13/monday-puzzle-the-highest-number-almost-always-wins/#.utrrn_rdt8e 13 comments math
- While developing the first prototype for PayPal, Max Levchin and Peter Thiel tried to stump each other with increasingly difficult math puzzles. How many digits does the number 125^100 have? (solve w/o calculator) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2013/12/16/monday-puzzle-how-many-digits-are-in-the-number-125100/#.usexkfrdt8e 11 comments math
- (Easy puzzle but interesting answer) 52 decks of cards are shuffled. I draw one card from each deck. What's the chance none of the cards drawn is an ace of spades? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2013/10/21/monday-puzzle-52-cards-from-52-decks/#.ummc-_msjto 11 comments math
- A bill calls for new changes to require a 3/5 majority instead of a simple 1/2 majority. If the bill passes, how much harder will it be to pass laws? Assume a random voter model with 100 voters, equal chance to vote "yes" or "no" http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2012/12/10/monday-puzzle-election-rule-change/ 4 comments math
- 1,000 coins are divided into piles (x and y) to give a number x*y. Each of the two piles is divided, yielding two numbers (say a*b and c*d). Repeat until every pile is 1 coin. What is the sum of all the numbers? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2012/10/22/monday-puzzle-piles-of-coins-hard-finance-interview-question/ 39 comments math
- Consider the sequence S = {1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, …., 1/100}. Pick two elements x and y and replace with the new number x + y + xy. Keep repeating until there's only one number. Is the number unique? What answer do you get? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2012/06/11/puzzle-a-fun-math-sequence-and-sum/ 8 comments math
- You toss 100 dimes, I toss 99 pennies. You win if you show more heads. What’s the probability that you will win? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2012/05/14/monday-puzzle-who-will-toss-more-heads/ 29 comments math
- Dividing up Halloween candy: the strategy to get the best candy for yourself http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/10/25/dividing-up-halloween-candy-the-strategy-to-get-the-best-candy-for-yourself/ 6 comments math
- Logic puzzle: hide and seek with a twist http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/10/17/monday-puzzle-hide-and-seek-with-a-twist/ 3 comments math
- A really tough technical interview question about making knots from tying shoelaces http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/09/26/monday-puzzle-a-really-tough-interview-question/ 19 comments math
- A string cutting game that makes for a nice puzzle http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/08/29/geometry-puzzle-string-cutting-game/ 6 comments math
- If a company has to give a holiday whenever an employee has a birthday, how many people will it hire? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/06/07/birthday-laws-probability-puzzle/ 23 comments math
- A seemingly paradoxical ratio: the broken sticks puzzle http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/02/01/broken-sticks-puzzle-and-a-seemingly-paradoxical-ratio/ 5 comments math
- Game theory and probability of iPhone passwords http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/01/27/game-theory-and-probability-of-iphone-passwords/ 26 comments math
- Interesting poker hand - can Phil Ivey be bullied? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/09/07/game-theory-in-high-stakes-poker/ 27 comments poker
- How to find cheap gas using game theory http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/02/09/how-to-find-cheap-gas-using-game-theory/ 7 comments math
- The gift card multiplier - how using gift cards to buy gift cards could increase a promo bonus http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/04/06/gaming-gift-card-bonuses-a-math-excursion/ 3 comments math
- A mystery Sherlock Holmes couldn't solve, but you can (with an assist from physics) http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/02/02/a-mystery-sherlock-holmes-couldnt-solve-but-you-can/ 4 comments math
- How to bet on the Super Bowl and win for sure using game theory http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/01/26/how-to-bet-on-sports-and-the-super-bowl-using-game-theory/ 5 comments math
- The bottle imp paradox - Mind Your Decisions http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2010/01/05/the-bottle-imp-paradox/ 5 comments math
- A classic math puzzle about splitting land equally http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2009/11/10/a-math-puzzle-about-splitting-land/ 20 comments math
- Talmudic division and Game Theory, but why? http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2008/06/10/how-game-theory-solved-a-religious-mystery/ 12 comments math
- Why the secret to speedier highways might be closing some roads: the Braess paradox http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2009/01/06/why-the-secret-to-speedier-highways-might-be-closing-some-roads-the-braess-paradox/ 6 comments math
- 16 fun applications of the pigeonhole principle - Mind Your Decisions http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2008/11/25/16-fun-applications-of-the-pigeonhole-principle/ 7 comments math
- Game theory and the math of infinity http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2008/11/04/game-theory-and-the-math-of-infinity/ 11 comments math