March 6, 2012
Problem of the Week
for Tuesday, March 6, 2012
A new four-volume set of books called "The History of Saint Ann's School" has swept the nation. Librarians across the country place these volumes in random order on their bookshelves. Bookworms find this set of books particularly delicious. In every library, a bookworm finds page one of Volume I and eats through the pages and covers until he arrives at the final page of Volume IV. On average, how many volumes do these bookworms eat through? Note that the bookworm pictured below has eaten through the interior of only one volume.
Click here to see an interactive version of this problem!