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Can you solve the stolen rubies riddle? - Dennis Shasha

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TEDEd Animation

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Townspeople are demanding that a corrupt merchant’s collection of 30 rubies be confiscated to reimburse the victims of his schemes. The king announces that the fine will be determined through a game of wits between the merchant and the king’s most clever advisor – you. Can you outfox the merchant and win back the greatest amount of rubies to help his victims? Dennis Shasha shows how.

WatchThink Dig Deeper Discuss
If we allow a box to contain zero rubies, but still require that one box must contain 10 rubies more than some other box, how many rubies should you ask for from each box and how many could you guarantee to get in total?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Dennis Shasha
  • Director Milos Zivkov
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Illustrator Stevica Zivkov
  • Animator Milos Zivkov
  • Character Designer Milos Zivkov
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez

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