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SUNDAY TIMES TEASER 2499
Is anyone able to explain to me the interpretation of Teaser 2499 (15 August ) Sunday Times?
It's about stocking shelves in a supermarket with milk and I can't understand the wording. For example, when it says 'half that amount the next day', are the old litres of milk sold as well? And when it says 'half that new amount the next day' what new amount is being referred to? I would appreciate any help!
It's about stocking shelves in a supermarket with milk and I can't understand the wording. For example, when it says 'half that amount the next day', are the old litres of milk sold as well? And when it says 'half that new amount the next day' what new amount is being referred to? I would appreciate any help!
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I'm so pleased someone has responded, Squarebear- here is the complete Teaser!
Joe was talking to the supermarket manager about shelf stocking, and she mentioned a recent exercise with milk.
Each morning, they added sufficient new stock to ensure there were 1,200 litres on the shelves. They found that 56% of the new stock was sold on the first day, half that amount the next day and half that new amount the day after. Any remaining stock was regarded as out of date and removed next morning before restocking.
Hence, they calculated the number of litres to be added each morning.
What is that number?
I send in the Teaser solution most weeks but this one really has me wondering!
Hope to hear your comments!
Joe was talking to the supermarket manager about shelf stocking, and she mentioned a recent exercise with milk.
Each morning, they added sufficient new stock to ensure there were 1,200 litres on the shelves. They found that 56% of the new stock was sold on the first day, half that amount the next day and half that new amount the day after. Any remaining stock was regarded as out of date and removed next morning before restocking.
Hence, they calculated the number of litres to be added each morning.
What is that number?
I send in the Teaser solution most weeks but this one really has me wondering!
Hope to hear your comments!
Thanks for your latest response Dinkypuzzled! Yesterday I was so annoyed with this teaser that I searched for 'Teaser 2499' and, lo and behold, found a site where a group of very bright types were discussing the problem! I found Guy's reasoning intelligible but Garry's too tricky for my simple logic! Anyway, it gave me some insight into the problem which, I think, was so badly explained in the Sunday times in the first place. Perhaps you would like to have a look -
http://groups.google....imes-teaser-solutions
Good luck!
http://groups.google....imes-teaser-solutions
Good luck!
I initially calculated this by using an iterative process - starting on the very first day of sales with a 1200l replenishment figure and then wotking forwards day by day until the series converged on 750l. In retrospect the solution is much simpler - straight algebra.
Imagine it's Thursday. All of the milk that was put on the shelves fresh on Monday was either sold on Monday, sold on Tuesday or sold or discarded on Wednesday. You Thursday morning stock of 1200l is therefore made up of X litres, being your restock amount, plus 44% of X, being the unsold milk from Wednesday's restock plus 16% of X, being the unsold milk from Tuesday's restock. So X + 0.44X +0.16X = 1200l i.e.1.6X = 1200l, so X = 750l
Imagine it's Thursday. All of the milk that was put on the shelves fresh on Monday was either sold on Monday, sold on Tuesday or sold or discarded on Wednesday. You Thursday morning stock of 1200l is therefore made up of X litres, being your restock amount, plus 44% of X, being the unsold milk from Wednesday's restock plus 16% of X, being the unsold milk from Tuesday's restock. So X + 0.44X +0.16X = 1200l i.e.1.6X = 1200l, so X = 750l
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