Interview question - logic problem
Interview question - logic problem
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ChrisMCoupe

Original Poster:

927 posts

233 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
Right you are going to have to bare with me slightly as I don't know the exact question that is going to be asked. I have just been informed by my agency that the chap interviewing me tomorrow likes to ask logic problem type questions and that his favourite is one based around planets and circumference etc.

My agent said that it is something along the lines of 2 planets in orbit going at different speeds and you need to work out when they are going to collide or possbly line up, if on different circumference orbits. I think its safe to assume that the will both be orbiting the same point.

I've got some pretty good ideas on how to solve a problem like this, but i won't mention them yet as want to see what anyone else comes up with without influencing.

Also, if anyone else has any logic based questions that they have been asked in interviews, please feel free to post them as they are all good practise.

ShadownINja

79,137 posts

303 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
The questions they ask ask McDonalds, these days, eh! nuts

Ok, here's one from my Oxford interview. Imagine you hold a metal cube from one corner. Lower the cube into a bucket of acid half way so it dissolves half of the cube. Now look at the side that is facing downwards. What shape is it? (Yeah, Argos Oxford. bds. I just wanted to clean the tears of joy from the laminated book of dreams...)

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 7th May 22:07

john_p

7,073 posts

271 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
Square?

ShadownINja

79,137 posts

303 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
john_p said:
Square?
Nope. That's what I said. redface

OllieWinchester

5,694 posts

213 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
What the hell? What is the answer then?

ChrisMCoupe

Original Poster:

927 posts

233 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
Diamond wink

navier_stokes

948 posts

220 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
The questions they ask ask McDonalds, these days, eh! nuts

Ok, here's one from my Oxford interview. Imagine you hold a metal cube from one corner. Lower the cube into a bucket of acid half way so it dissolves half of the cube. Now look at the side that is facing downwards. What shape is it? (Yeah, Argos Oxford. bds. I just wanted to clean the tears of joy from the laminated book of dreams...)

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 7th May 22:07
Triangle?

Steamer

14,087 posts

234 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
john_p said:
Square?
Nope. That's what I said. redface
A diamond shape?

navier_stokes

948 posts

220 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
ChrisMCoupe said:
Right you are going to have to bare with me slightly as I don't know the exact question that is going to be asked. I have just been informed by my agency that the chap interviewing me tomorrow likes to ask logic problem type questions and that his favourite is one based around planets and circumference etc.

My agent said that it is something along the lines of 2 planets in orbit going at different speeds and you need to work out when they are going to collide or possbly line up, if on different circumference orbits. I think its safe to assume that the will both be orbiting the same point.

I've got some pretty good ideas on how to solve a problem like this, but i won't mention them yet as want to see what anyone else comes up with without influencing.

Also, if anyone else has any logic based questions that they have been asked in interviews, please feel free to post them as they are all good practise.
Surely you need to know their initial positions relative to each other, otherwise the question is impossible to answer... unless it's a philosophical question hehe

ChrisMCoupe

Original Poster:

927 posts

233 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
navier_stokes said:
Surely you need to know their initial positions relative to each other, otherwise the question is impossible to answer... unless it's a philosophical question hehe
Of course, i wasn't looking for a complete answer, just theroies on how to go about it. i.e. Find the circumference, work out the speed (d/t) etc, thats all really.

OllieWinchester

5,694 posts

213 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
What shape is a diamond then? I'd prefer it if they just read the paper and ignored me until I set fire to it.

Merc fan

963 posts

204 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
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I was once asked how I would weigh my own head. Though I say it myself, I was happy with my answer.

I said that I would fill a large bucket with water into which I would place my head. I would measure the amount of displaced water and calculate it's weight. I would then make some assumptions about the density of my head and compare it to water and then use that ratio against the weight of the water.

I can't see another way of weighing one's own head. If you cut it off you can't weight it cos you're dead!

ShadownINja

79,137 posts

303 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
OllieWinchester said:
What shape is a diamond then? I'd prefer it if they just read the paper and ignored me until I set fire to it.
hehe and hehe

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 7th May 22:27

ShadownINja

79,137 posts

303 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
Oh, yeah... it's a hexagon. Obviously. rolleyes Yeah, I went to Doncaster Technical College in the end. (Not really.)

OllieWinchester

5,694 posts

213 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
To weigh your own head, surely you could just lie down and use some scales as a sort of pillow? Bet that would give you a closer approximation than dunking your head in a bucket of water and catching the overspill?hehe

ChrisMCoupe

Original Poster:

927 posts

233 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
I would personally find an unfortunate victim with a similar size head to me, hack it off and pop it on the scales, sod getting water up my nose.

_Dan_

2,392 posts

300 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
The questions they ask ask McDonalds, these days, eh! nuts

Ok, here's one from my Oxford interview. Imagine you hold a metal cube from one corner. Lower the cube into a bucket of acid half way so it dissolves half of the cube. Now look at the side that is facing downwards. What shape is it? (Yeah, Argos Oxford. bds. I just wanted to clean the tears of joy from the laminated book of dreams...)

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 7th May 22:07
Octagon Oh yeah, hexagon! Doh!

Edited by _Dan_ on Thursday 7th May 22:42

Eggman

1,253 posts

232 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
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I would immerse myself completely in a bath of water to find my volume, then immerse my head to find its volume and then calculate the weight of my head as a proportion of my total weight. That way, the only assumptions needed are that I know how much I weigh (regrettably true) and that my head is of average density compared to the rest of me (seems plausible enough).

Still having difficulty visualising the dissolving cube, though!

OllieWinchester

5,694 posts

213 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
Problem with your theory Eggman, is that the head is significantly denser than the rest of your body, and accounts for a large degree of your body weight. Your application has been denied, close the door on the way out and let the next candidate in.

evenflow

8,835 posts

303 months

Thursday 7th May 2009
quotequote all
I can't help you with the logic problems, and wish you the best of luck, but...

...if you fail the interview, then your current employer finds out you have been for an interview with a rival and then sacks you so you end up sitting at home in your pants eating cheese and wondering how you are going to pay for this week's electricity, I'll buy your M Coupe off you for £5k. Deal?

Wheels look non-standard. Are they CSLs? Anymore pics?