Podcast – 11: The loopiest puzzler

I have four lengths of rope. I hold them so that you can see all eight ends, but you can’t tell which end connects to which other end. You pick a pair of ends, and I tie them together. We repeat — you pick, I tie — until we run out of ends. // What’s the expected value of the number of loops you’ll have at the end? Or, in plain English, if we play this game a zillion times, what’s the average number of loops I’ll get per game? Note: the correct answer is not a whole number.

Free 30-minute parent consult

Not sure where to start?

Tell us what’s going on with your student and we’ll point you to the right next step. No prep, no pressure.

Book your free consult →