TOT 337 1992 Spring A S5 100 silver and 101 gold coins
Source:
June 9, 2024
weighingscombinatorics
Problem Statement
silver coins ordered by weight and gold coins also ordered by weight are given. All coins have different weights. You are given a balance to compare weights of any two coins. How can you find the “middle” coin (that occupies the -st place in weight among all coins) using the minimal number of weighings? Find this number and prove that a smaller number of weighings would be insufficient. (A. Andjans, Riga)