# Math Help - Can anyone help me this question?

1. ## Can anyone help me this question?

35 teams enter a basketball competition. Assuming there are no replys or drawn games. How many games are played until there is a winner?

2. Originally Posted by kittycat
35 teams enter a basketball competition. Assuming there are no replys or drawn games. How many games are played until there is a winner?
34 teams must lose and there is 1 loser per game, so 34 games are needed.

RonL

3. Originally Posted by CaptainBlack
34 teams must lose and there is 1 loser per game, so 34 games are needed.

RonL
well, that was easy

4. That's an great way to see it that I never thought about. Thanks, CaptainBlack.

5. Originally Posted by Jhevon
well, that was easy
Yes, i quite agree.

6. I am confused, this was a really simple problem

7. Originally Posted by kittycat
35 teams enter a basketball competition. Assuming there are no replys or drawn games. How many games are played until there is a winner?
Perhaps the question is supposed to be more like 'how many games does the winning team play"?

In which case, since 35 is odd one team at the beginning moves on without playing. (I forget what the correct term for that is. Is it a "bye" or something?) So the first round eliminates $\frac{36}{2} - 1 = 17$ teams, leaving 18.

The second round eliminates 9 teams, leaving 9 teams.

The third round includes that "bye" thing (or whatever), so $\frac{10}{5} - 1 = 4$ teams are eliminated, leaving 6 teams.

The fourth round eliminates 3 teams, leaving 3 teams.

The fifth round includes a bye, so $\frac{4}{2} - 1 = 1$ team is eliminated leaving 2 teams.

The sixth round is the final and eliminates 1 team.

So the winning team plays 6 games.

-Dan

8. Originally Posted by topsquark
Perhaps the question is supposed to be more like 'how many games does the winning team play"?

-Dan
Yes, that might be it. Although it really doesn't seem like it.

Originally Posted by kittycat
How many games are played until there is a winner?

9. Originally Posted by janvdl
Yes, that might be it. Although it really doesn't seem like it.
I agree with you. I was just speculating that the original post may have been mistyped into a much simpler question. (Not that my question was much harder.)

-Dan

10. a question tops, What if the winning team was one that had a bye?

11. Originally Posted by servantes135
a question tops, What if the winning team was one that had a bye?
Hmmm...

I believe that a bye does technically count as a game, but you are right... they really didn't play did they? Then the answer to my question must vary between 3 and 6 games.

Since this isn't a definite answer I suppose that means my thought is pointless. Ah well!

-Dan