Let X be the number of people at an event.. Where X is a positive intergral, and X is >11 Labels: Lucky
There are 11 prizes to be won at the event.. and the X ppl have submitted a lucky draw coupon each to win the prizes..
each of the prizes are brought out one by one.. and subsequently, a lucky draw coupon is chosen at random (and not replaced) and the prize is given to the corresponding person at the event.
Thus, the possibility of getting the prize would be..
1 / X, for the 1st item brought out..
1/ (X-1) for the 2nd item..
1/ (X-2) for the 3rd item..
...
....
1/ (X-10) for the 11th item..
#######
Deshou?!
#######
Now, if we give X an arbitary value (i.e .. 20?) we can see that for the 1st item, we have the hardest possibility of 1 in 20 of getting it (5% chance).. the possibility increases with the subsequent items such as the 3rd, which has a 1 in 18 chance, down till the last item which has a 1 in 9 chance of winning (>11% chance)..
now, at the event.. they had consolation prizes such as a bottle of wine.. mid-tier prizes such as hard disks, or ipod nanos up for grabs.. and a laptop as their top prize..
Strangely, following the above example.. they put the top prize of a laptop as the 11th item.. making it the easiest(?) to win out of all the prizes available..
Now, that part has got me worried.. as i now wonder if i shld be happy about my luck.. i got the hardest to win prize out of that lucky draw.. The consolation prize.. a bottle of wine =X
DOTS LA!! COULDN'T YOU PUT THE LAPTOP WITH THE HARDEST POSSIBILITY OF GETTING?! OR AT LEAST PUT THE CONSOLATION PRIZE AFTER THE TOP PRIZE HAS BEEN GIVEN OUT?! (i might at least feel better about getting something instead of nothing in that last scenario)
T_T
don't mind me.. its just ranting of someone had to lugg some dead weight with with him after the event, while he was out shopping the rest of the day =P