pimd-like math problem

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Supa_Cop_Killa, Dec 10, 2011.

  1. If you are bored out of your mind then try solving this challenging math problem  I solved it in 2 mins with a pencil, paper, and ghetto calculator that could only add/subtract/multiply/divide

    (I made it up and adjusted pimd's mechanics a lil)

    A player on party in my dorm makes $5 mill for every successful hit and has a 20% chance of winning without using any offense items. For every $40,000 he spends on items, his chance of winning increases by 1%. How much money should he spend on items when hitting? What will be his profit per attempt be if he is optimizing items to maximize his profit?

    If that was too easy then here is part 2 which is also solvable with a pencil, paper, and a ghetto calculator:

    Everything is the same as the previous problem but now there are two added conditions. Each time the player attacks, his chance of winning the next time goes down by 3% because his energy gets drained by 10% of his max each time. The amount of cash he can get from a single hit also decreases by 10% of his max ($5 mill) each time as well because his energy is draining. How much cash should he spend on items for the Nth attack and what will his profit per attempt be for the Nth attack?
     
  2. It's a simple problem but I leave my calculator in math class at school.
     
  3. Why is that funny? My calculator costed me $160. My teacher keeps it in her desk because kids at my school tend to have "sticky fingers".
     
  4. I can do mental math really well  wouldn't need the calculator lol
     
  5. We have scientific calculators and theyre like 20 dollars 
     
  6. You need a calculator... 
     
  7. Don't u have one on ur itouch/iPhone?
     
  8. i still got my 2 calculators i used at my high school  a $20 scientific calculator and a $200 graphics calculator 
     
  9. Yeah but I hate this calculator. I like mine where I can go back through old answers and copy them back into a problem. It's way faster and you are more accurate because instead of rounding numbers it takes the full answer.
     
  10. What level is this question? Jw cause I'm in pre algebra
     
  11. There are no "levels". It's just a math problem. You should be able to do this if you understand how percentages work.
     
  12. Guess what



    I left my math wb in my locker
    So "yipee"

    Its 4 hw
     
  13. This is an optimization problem that can be done by hand if you know how to take derivatives. Derivatives can be taught as early as pre-calculus.

    As for the calculator discussion, I had a final today and everyone in the class had either a TI-84 or TI89 calculator ($100-$150) and I walked in with a 4 function calculator like a boss 

    No one has attempted part 1 of the math problem? 
     
  14. Do you mean by "levels". You mean by what grade you are learning? Like Grade 1,2,3,4,5,6? Or in Singapore primary 1,2,3,4,5,6?
     
  15. I have no clue what a derivative is. To Google!
     
  16. The way I'd do this is to assume this person would have a number of hits, let's say 20. With one item he would make 4,960,000 21% of his hits. 4.92m 22% of the hits. Etc. I'd make a graph if I was feeling especially nerdy. Seeing how I don't know what a derivative is (yet), this seems to be the next best way.