SOLUTION: A single elimination tennis tournament is used to determine a champion from among 120 competetitors. A competitor who loses one match is immediately disqualified. The number of mat

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Question 1131571: A single elimination tennis tournament is used to determine a champion from among 120 competetitors. A competitor who loses one match is immediately disqualified. The number of matches needed in order to determine a champion is?
Found 2 solutions by stanbon, greenestamps:
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A single elimination tennis tournament is used to determine a champion from among 120 competitors. A competitor who loses one match is immediately disqualified. The number of matches needed in order to determine a champion is?
after 1st set of matches:: 60 survive
after 2nd set of matches:: 30 survive
after 3rd set of matches:: 15 survive
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7 matches leaves 8 survivers::
4 matches leave 4 survivers
2 matches leaves 2 survivers
1 match leaves 1 final winner
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Total # of matches:: 60+30+15+7+4+2+1 = 119
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Cheers,
Stan H.

Answer by greenestamps(13200) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Each match eliminates one competitor; the tournament is over when there is one competitor left. Since there were originally 120 competitors, it takes 119 matches to eliminate 119 competitors and determine the champion.