On a table are three plates, containing a, bandc jelly beans, in some order, where a < b < c. At any time you may double the number of jelly beans on a plate, by transferring beans to it from a fuller (or equally populated) plate. After one such move, for example, the plates could have 2a, b-a,and c beans. Using a series of these moves, Is it possible to remove all the jelly beans from one of the plates?
Edited by bonanova Clarified the conditions for transferring beans
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bonanova
On a table are three plates, containing a, b and c jelly beans, in some order, where a < b < c. At any time you may double the number of jelly beans on a plate, by transferring beans to it from a fuller (or equally populated) plate. After one such move, for example, the plates could have 2a, b-a, and c beans. Using a series of these moves, Is it possible to remove all the jelly beans from one of the plates?
Clarified the conditions for transferring beans
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