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The puzzle for this month is about a game in which a coin is tossed repeatedly. If it comes up heads Pascal gets a point but if it comes up tails Fermat wins a point. The first person to win three points is the winner and receives the prize of £12.
Unfortunately the game had to end abruptly after three tosses of the coin. Pascal had two points and Fermat had one point. They decided to share the £12 in a ratio that matched the probability of them winning the game if it had continued. How should they divide the £12? That should give you something to mull over as you go about your activities today. It is worth noting however that if you think the answer is £8 and £4 you may have some more thinking to do.
Solutions to the Puzzle of the Month are available to subscribers only.
For many more mathematical puzzles visit the Transum Puzzles page.
