I have 11 pieces of candy in each of three baskets. From each basket I take out one piece of candy in the following order:
from the left,
from the middle,
from the right,
from the middle,
from the left,
from the middle,
from the right, and so on.
What is the largest number of pieces of candy left in one of the baskets when the middle basket is empty?
Left Middle Right
11 11 11 <--in the beginning
10 11 11 <--after taking 1 from the left
10 10 11 <--after taking 1 from the middle
10 10 10 <--after taking 1 from the right
10 9 10 <--after taking 1 from the middle
9 9 10 <--after taking 1 from the left
9 8 10 <--after taking 1 from the middle
9 8 9 <--after taking 1 from the right
9 7 9 <--after taking 1 from the middle
8 7 9 <--after taking 1 from the left
8 6 9 <--after taking 1 from the middle
8 6 8 <--after taking 1 from the right
8 5 8 <--after taking 1 from the middle
7 5 8 <--after taking 1 from the left
7 4 8 <--after taking 1 from the middle
7 4 7 <--after taking 1 from the right
7 3 7 <--after taking 1 from the middle
6 3 7 <--after taking 1 from the left
6 2 7 <--after taking 1 from the middle
6 2 6 <--after taking 1 from the right
6 1 6 <--after taking 1 from the middle
5 1 6 <--after taking 1 from the left
5 0 6 <--after taking 1 from the middle
Answer: 6 in the right basket.
Edwin