The Weekly Stumper
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Weekly Stumper
Hancock tower in Chicago has 100 floors. Your task is to find the highest floor of Hancock tower from which you can drop an ostrich egg without it cracking. For each of the following cases, describe a procedure that always finds the right answer, and in the worst case scenario has the lowest number of drops. So, a procedure which might give the right answer in 1 drop, but might also take 100 drops is less good than a procedure which always takes 90 drops.  1) You have exactly one ostrich egg 2) You own an ostrich farm (so, you have an unlimited supply of eggs) 3)You have exactly two ostrich eggs. Example for a “bad” procedure for case 1 that may not result in the exact correct answer: drop your single egg from floor 100. If it doesn’t break, then floor 100 is the highest floor from which you can drop an egg without cracking it, but if the egg breaks, then you are out of eggs and did not find the answer.
Question 1: What should your procedure be if you have only 1 egg? What's the most number of drops your procedure might take? *
Question 2: What is your procedure if you own an ostrich farm? What's the most number of drops your procedure might take?
Question 3: What is your procedure if you have exactly 2 eggs? What's the most number of drops your procedure might take?
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