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        riddles >> medium >> Vending machine problem.
        
(Message started by: sateesp on Feb 27^th, 2010, 1:18am)

Title: Vending machine problem.
Post by sateesp on Feb 27^th, 2010, 1:18am

There is a one milk vending machine, which has three buttons. Each button has limits called min and max. These limits indicates that when you press that button , min and max milk that you can get. Given this information, how would you find, is it possible to get the milk in the range of given min and max by pressing any combination of vending machine 3 buttons.

Title: Re: Vending machine problem.
Post by R on Mar 5^th, 2010, 9:00pm

Can anyone explain clearly on what is being asked and what is given?

Title: Re: Vending machine problem.
Post by towr on Mar 6^th, 2010, 3:37am

If I had to guess, I'd say we are given intervals [a,b], [c,d], [e,f], and want to add them together in some way such that the resultant interval you get lies in [g,h].
So we want to find x,y,z such that xa+yc+ze >=g and xb+yd+zf <=h

Title: Re: Vending machine problem.
Post by Ant_Man on Mar 8^th, 2010, 2:21pm

I believe we just need g<=xa+yc+ze<=h or g<=xb+yd+zf<=h. He just wants to know if it is possible at all.

It seems like the best strategy could potentially change after each button press, too.

Title: Re: Vending machine problem.
Post by sateesp on Mar 17^th, 2010, 10:01am

That would be a brute force technique. Is there any better way to solve this ?

Title: Re: Vending machine problem.
Post by towr on Mar 17^th, 2010, 11:46am

Let's first settle on what problem you want to solve. Is Ant_Man's interpretation correct, or mine?

Title: Re: Vending machine problem.
Post by sateesp on Mar 20^th, 2010, 10:25pm

Ant_Man's interpretation correct. we just need find the x,y, z such that it satisfies the following condition.
g<=xa+yc+ze<=h or g<=xb+yd+zf<=h.