Problem 856 clarification suggested
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As your posts will be visible to the general public you are requested to be thoughtful in not posting anything that might explicitly give away how to solve a particular problem.
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Don't start begging others to give partial answers to problems
Don't ask for hints how to solve a problem
Don't start a new topic for a problem if there already exists one
See also the topics:
Don't post any spoilers
Comments, questions and clarifications about PE problems.
- wim59
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2023 3:35 am
Problem 856 clarification suggested
I wasted a lot of time (as, apparently, at least one other poster) thinking we were drawing pairs of cards. The problem statement could be clarified that we are drawing one card at a time and checking if this card forms a pair with the previous card.

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Stache
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:44 am
- Location: Connecticut, USA
Re: Problem 856 clarification suggested
Yes, I made the same mistake. What I found confusing was the phrase "consecutive pair." It's true it doesn't say consecutive pairs, but actually I thought that must be the interpretation since just finding the first pair was too easy!
On the plus side, solving the problem assuming two consecutive pairs had to be drawn was more interesting.

- bruce_love
- Administrator
- Posts: 3540
- Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:59 am
Re: Problem 856 clarification suggested
Sorry for the confusion. We have changed the wording to make it clear that it is only ONE pair that we are looking for.
- wim59
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Mon Mar 27, 2023 3:35 am