A Math Forum Project

ESCOT Problem of the Week: Archive of Problems, Submissions, & Commentary

Rock, Paper, Scissors IV - posted January 26, 2000

Try Rock, Paper, Scissors - Part I, Rock, Paper, Scissors - Part II, and Rock, Paper, Scissors - Part III before you do this problem. If you are working on this activity right after Parts I, II, or III, please make sure to quit the ESCOT runner and start it again.

This week we will again be playing a three-person game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Ed wins if all throws are the same. Angelique wins if all are different. Vicki wins if only two are the same.

1. How many points did you assign to each player to make the game fair?
   
   
2. Were you successful in making the game fair?
   
   
3. How would you explain why your numbers worked or did not work?

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Comments

Only one solution was submitted to this problem, and it was correct. This was a difficult problem that required students to determine more precisely the ratio of wins expected for each player. Students would likely have had to use a more combinatorial analysis unless they could make very good estimates on their simulation results.

Highlighted solutions:

Page Solution Page
Your Solutions Here!
1. How many points did you assign each player to make the game fair?Ed 6
antelique 3 and vicky 1



2. Were you successful in making the game fair?yes



3. How would you explain why your numbers worked or did not work?It worked
because vicky had 3 times more probablity of winning then antilique and
antilique had twice as much of probablity of winnning than ed

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2 students received credit this week.

Robert M., age 13 - Issaquah Middle School, Issaquah, WA
Benjamin W., age 14 - Issaquah Middle School, Issaquah, WA

View most of the solutions submitted by the students above