Maths isn't my strong point.

[AndyM]

Ok so my flatmates are discussing our flat next year and our allocation of rooms. The general consensus is that the fairest way would be to allocate rooms randomly (though the girls aren't too happy about this because obviously being girls they deserve bigger and better rooms, but that's a different story...) so the plan is to number the rooms from 1 to 6 and each draw them out of a hat.

However, someone said that whoever draws first has more choice of room because they have a 1 in 6 chance of drawing whilst the second person will only have 1 in 5 chance, the third 1 in 4 and the last person won't have any choice, they have to have the last room. I said that this wasn't an issue that it was still random. It seems really obvious to me that the last person's choice is still random, I even feel stupid for posting this (though I could still be wrong), but I was unable to explain why eloquently enough to them to persuade them. Can someone please do so?

Love, your mathematically challenged friend.

 

[Twigley]

...

It's random overall.

If first person picks a bad room, then the next people have more chance of picking the better one.

If first person picks a better room, then the next people have more chance of picking the bad ones.

The first person has 50/50 chance of picking the best rooms ....


It just depends on what the person before you picks ...

 

[Alcibiades]

The way we sorted it was the whoever got the best rooms paid more rent; whoever got the crappiest rooms paid less rent and all were happy. Because while you had a better room it cost you more. I liked our setup a lot tbh.

However, if you want random i suggest 'drawing straws' or something to find out who gets to *pick* their room first. You can roll dice or play 'high card' or something to find out the picking order. Then when you have the order people get to pick the rooms they want by the order. That is more random and fair imo since the random factor applies to the picking order, and not to the rooms available; although i, too, could be wrong.

 

[pinpower]

Yeah i like alci's idea. Do something to choose the picking order then its both random in who chooses when and in what room people pick. (You never know, the person who picks first could pick the room which you thought was the worst)

(Sorry, that doesnt help you at all really. On topic i think you are right.)

 

[Garrett]

heh, sounds like my kids at dinner 'can i have the first plate?'

so i make em all wait til 3 plates are complete and then have them get them at the same time.

too bad you can't have them all choose at the same time...


you could simply explain to the girls that you could add another level of complexity by having whatever game/competition to decide who chooses first.

(yes I'm assuming one of the girls complained about the 'choosing')

it is a random choice to do it as you originally said it. just if someone picked the best room, then they got the best room... hence the random picking...

it'd be the same if they were randomly assigned numbers. a room has to go to someone right?

They are whining about unfairness because they don't want to get stuck with a room. Whether they get to choose the number or it's given to them... it's random and the outcome is the same... whatever is given to them is given to them... having a computer to 'randomly' assign stuff still would work the same way... ok person a) gets room 3) ok only 5 people to go and 5 rooms... and so on and so forth.

In short, smack all other 5 people and tell them to draw a damn #.

 

[Weeble]

Put all 6 numbers face down and tell everyone to pick one of the pieces of paper.

Everyone picks a random piece thus = fair.

 

[Ram]

The way we sorted it was the whoever got the best rooms paid more rent; whoever got the crappiest rooms paid less rent and all were happy. Because while you had a better room it cost you more. I liked our setup a lot tbh.

Fairest way.

 

[AndyM]

Cheers Twigley for putting it in simple terms

Alci's idea is good, but there is no clear discernible 'better' rooms (two rooms are slightly smaller but not by much), it is just that people have preferences and priorities that clash with each other. I have suggested the highest card method to determine a choosing order but they didn't like that either, because like Garrett said they don't want to be lumbered with a room - I guess it's human nature to expect that your needs are better than everyone else's

Thanks for the suggestions anyway - I'll discuss with the flatmates and be assertive with the fairest way. I personally won't be upset with whatever room I have, but of course I'm reluctant to say that because that will be assumed to mean 'Oh he doesn't mind having the small room so he can have it' which isn't what I want!

Damn drama...I hate to be sexist but this problem wouldn't happen if I were living with all guys ^^

 

[aGit]

random pick is random (excuse the 4chan meme)

if you draw out the 6 numbers from the hat, the first one and the last one doing the picks have an equal chance of scoring a good room. there is no unfairness there.

/me shoos andym to probability math course, quite simple really.

 

[Garrett]

Damn drama...I hate to be sexist but this problem wouldn't happen if I were living with all guys ^^

I knew it!

so then tell them the only other way than drawing from a hat, is giving them the rooms they want... but they have to give the guys oral favors 2x a month.

tis fair. it should be more for having to put up with them, but i'm giving allowances for other relationships et al.

 

[harriergirl]

I want to be angry at garrett but to be fair, I hate most other women =P

 

[DarkSider]

Well just for the mathematical solution which i hope is correct :

First has 1/6 chances to pick the best room obviously.
Second has 5/6 (the chances first missed) multiplied by his chances to pick the best (1/5) so 5/6 * 1/5 = 1/6 to pick the best room.
Third needs first 2 to miss and then he has a 1/4 chance so:
5/6 * 4/5 * 1/4 = 1/6
Forth
5/6 * 4/5 * 3/4 * 1/3 = 1/6
Fifth
5/6 * 4/5 * 3/4 * 2/3 * 1/2 = 1/6
Sixth
5/6 * 4/5 * 3/4 * 2/3 * 1/2 * 1(only one left) = 1/6

The only difference is that the followers will see if the best room(s) got picked and might already be anoyed before testing their luck

 

[Alcibiades]

The only difference is that the followers will see if the best room(s) got picked and might already be anoyed before testing their luck

Easy solution to that is to have no one read their 'pick' until everyone has picked. Then it's all sorted painfully and people just get the 'aww shucks' feeling.

 

[atsanjose]

Ok so my flatmates are discussing our flat next year and our allocation of rooms. The general consensus is that the fairest way would be to allocate rooms randomly (though the girls aren't too happy about this because obviously being girls they deserve bigger and better rooms, but that's a different story...) so the plan is to number the rooms from 1 to 6 and each draw them out of a hat.

However, someone said that whoever draws first has more choice of room because they have a 1 in 6 chance of drawing whilst the second person will only have 1 in 5 chance, the third 1 in 4 and the last person won't have any choice, they have to have the last room. I said that this wasn't an issue that it was still random. It seems really obvious to me that the last person's choice is still random, I even feel stupid for posting this (though I could still be wrong), but I was unable to explain why eloquently enough to them to persuade them. Can someone please do so?

Love, your mathematically challenged friend.

sorry.... you want to explain to girls something and instead of common sense you use math?

ow boy..

 

[septimus]

Ok so my flatmates are discussing our flat next year and our allocation of rooms. The general consensus is that the fairest way would be to allocate rooms randomly (though the girls aren't too happy about this because obviously being girls they deserve bigger and better rooms, but that's a different story...) so the plan is to number the rooms from 1 to 6 and each draw them out of a hat.

However, someone said that whoever draws first has more choice of room because they have a 1 in 6 chance of drawing whilst the second person will only have 1 in 5 chance, the third 1 in 4 and the last person won't have any choice, they have to have the last room. I said that this wasn't an issue that it was still random. It seems really obvious to me that the last person's choice is still random, I even feel stupid for posting this (though I could still be wrong), but I was unable to explain why eloquently enough to them to persuade them. Can someone please do so?

Love, your mathematically challenged friend.

sorry.... you want to explain to girls something and instead of common sense you use math?

ow boy..

Sorry, you want him to explain something to girls and use common sense?

 

[atsanjose]

Ok so my flatmates are discussing our flat next year and our allocation of rooms. The general consensus is that the fairest way would be to allocate rooms randomly (though the girls aren't too happy about this because obviously being girls they deserve bigger and better rooms, but that's a different story...) so the plan is to number the rooms from 1 to 6 and each draw them out of a hat.

However, someone said that whoever draws first has more choice of room because they have a 1 in 6 chance of drawing whilst the second person will only have 1 in 5 chance, the third 1 in 4 and the last person won't have any choice, they have to have the last room. I said that this wasn't an issue that it was still random. It seems really obvious to me that the last person's choice is still random, I even feel stupid for posting this (though I could still be wrong), but I was unable to explain why eloquently enough to them to persuade them. Can someone please do so?

Love, your mathematically challenged friend.

sorry.... you want to explain to girls something and instead of common sense you use math?

ow boy..

Sorry, you want him to explain something to girls and use common sense?

lol, indeed, lost cause, what was i thinking

shall i move this thread to spam?

 

[MiLK]

The way we did it was;

- Give each room a number and write it down on pieces of paper.
- Write down each persons name on a piece of paper

Put them into two hats, draw one piece of paper from each to make a "pair" of person+room.

 

[Weeble]

I just dumped all my stuff in the room I wanted when I got to the house as I was the first one there.
Screw democracy.

 

[BlackWolf]

Well I would just make everyone to take their paper and not to look at them. As such no one would have any more chances as no one would know what they picked.

If picking order is problem throw a coin or something.

 

[AndyM]

Thanks for the input - we ended up drawing both names and numbers from separate hats and pairing them together.

And in case you're wondering - I got the (what I thought was the) nicest room