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Microsoft interview questions

PostPosted: September 21st, 2006, 4:23 pm
by PHY
These three riddles appeared during a certain Microsoft job interview.
The interviewer would watch how the interviewee responds to these riddles. Even if they didn't get the answer, the interviewer wants to see how they think as they explain the steps they're making to TRY to solve it. Some might be too easy to solve directly! See if you can solve these.

Riddle #1:

1
1 1
2 1
1 2 1 1
1 1 1 2 2 1
3 1 2 2 1 1

What's the pattern?


Riddle #2:

You have four people at a bridge... one HAS to carry a flashlight as they cross, but only two can cross at a time. And nobody can go alone.

It only takes one 1 minute to cross. Another takes 2 minutes. Another, 5. And the last, 10.

If the person who takes 1 minute goes with the person who takes 10... it automatically takes 10 minutes.

How many minutes will it take them all to cross.. at the quickest?

Riddle #3:

You have two fuses... they burn at different rates and not at steady rates. BUT! They only burn for one hour. One could burn the entire way except one inch within one minute, then spend the last 59 on that last inch, for example.

You also have to use this to somehow time 45 minutes exactly. How would you do it?

PostPosted: December 4th, 2006, 10:48 pm
by BenTheMan
#1

The next two lines should be
1 3 1 1 2 2 2 1
1 1 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 1

#2

Smallest time I get is 18 minutes. Have the quickest person accompany the slowest person from the set and return across the bridge. Are there any other constraints? This is similar to the chicken, cat, fox riddle.

#3

? Seems like there isn't enough info. Will think some more.

PostPosted: January 18th, 2007, 5:19 am
by ANDREW
Good to see riddles in Microsoft test.Well Please supply me

with more riddles and more information on it.



Thanks,
Andrew

PostPosted: April 20th, 2007, 6:16 am
by chetan
are those answers ............
2nd answer comes to be 12 minuites......
1 and 2 (= 2)

5 and 10(=10)

PostPosted: June 30th, 2008, 5:29 pm
by louis002
For the 3rd riddle you have to burn both ends of the fuse to obtain the 30-minute point, and then start with that point and burn both ends of the second fuse.

PostPosted: August 21st, 2010, 8:58 am
by vegetablevn
louis002 wrote:For the 3rd riddle you have to burn both ends of the fuse to obtain the 30-minute point, and then start with that point and burn both ends of the second fuse.


Hi,

Thanks very much for this comment. It help me to think about my ideals.

Tks again and pls keep posting.