P 17 181007
Here is a problem for Operations Research !. In the ground floor of a four-storey house, an electrical repair-man found the ends of 11 wires in a bunch (they all looked alike) .On the top floor was the other bunch of 11. His problem: to find out which end above belonged to which end below.
He could, of course, either short-circuit the wires at either spot by twisting ends at random, or test for a closed circuit by a continuity tester. But to avoid the needless stair climbing involved, he sat down on the top floor with a pencil and paper and soon worked out the most efficient possible method of labeling the wires.
What was his method?
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