Today Puzzle #619
Puzzle No. 619鈥� Tuesday 26 November
To give the impression that their minds are occupied with high and abstract concepts, academic scientists wear odd socks on purpose. If I want to wear a unique combination (no repeats, no matched pairs) every day for a week, how many different colours of sock do I need?
Today's #PuzzleForToday has been set by Dr Andrew Brown, Lecturer in School of Maths, Queen’s University Belfast.
Click here for the answer
With four colours (e.g red, green, blue and yellow) there are only six unique combinations: RG, RB, RY, BG, BY, GY. Thus to do 7 days I would need 5 colours. As a bonus, if I have 5 colours I have enough for 10 days: with 5 colours there are 5X5=25 total combinations. 5 of them are matched pairs, leaving 20. And swapping the order doesn’t matter: BG is the same as GB, so only half (20/2=10) give unique combinations.
-
![]()
Puzzle for Today 鈥� Index
Find all of the currently available Puzzles for Today, with answers.
More fiendish brain-teasers and quizzes on 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio...
-
![]()
From autumn leaves to the magic roundabout: test yourself with our favourite quizzes.
-
![]()
We asked the intelligence agency to set our listeners a code-cracking challenge... Can you solve it?
-
![]()
Quiz: How many of these Mastermind music questions can you answer?
Here's a chance to find out whether your specialist subject on Mastermind could be the entire history of music.
-
![]()
Six conundrums to grapple with, including the Riddle of the Sphinx. Try not to forfeit your life...
