A new game show on TV has 100 boxes numbered 1, 2, . . . , 100 in a row, each containing a mystery prize. The prizes are items of different types, a, b, c, . . . , in decreasing order of value. The most expensive item is of type a, a diamond ring, and there is exactly one of these. You are told that the number of items at least doubles as you move to the next type. For example, there would be at least twice as many items of type b as of type a, at least twice as many items of type c as of type b and so on. There is no particular order in which the prizes are placed in the boxes.
You ask for the type of item in box 45. Instead of being given a direct answer, you are told that there are 31 items of the same type as box 45 in boxes 1 to 44 and 43 items of the same type as box 45 in boxes 46 to 100.
What is the maximum possible number of different types of items?
The total number of items from 1 to 100, which are of same type as in box 45 = 31+1+43=75
Now to maximize the number of items, a=1, b=2, c=4, d=18 and e=75(given)
There can be maximum 5 types of items.
If we consider number of items to be 6, then minimum number of items of 5th type will be 16, 1+2+4+8+16+75=106 which is more than 100.
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