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Connecting Math: Just for Fun #21
Ionel has two friends who are living in the tower block: Dinu, at the 3rd floor and Anton at the 14th floor. Ionel was often visiting his friends, going today at one's place and tomorrow at the other's. One day, astonished he made the next remark
"What curious! When I leave from Dinu almost always the elevator is at a superior floor. When I leave from Anton the elevator is at an inferior floor.
Does somebody is blocking the elevator at the middle-floors?

Answer: Let's admit that the elevator is working permanentely so, looking down from the 3rd floor, lets say, the elevator will be, especially at the superior part. 
Lets admit that the tower block has 17 floors and that practically the elevator goes from down to up and backwards.
The interval of time necessarily to the elevator to take down from the 13th floor downstairs and to return at the 3rd floor is shorter in comparation with the interval of time in which the elevator climbes from the 3rd floor at the 17th floor and comes back to the 3rd floor.

The time could be, so divided in two categories:
 -moments in which the elevator is under the 3rd floor 
 -moments in which the elevator is at superior floors 
 The probability of meeting he elevator at an inferior or superior floor is proportionally with the time in which the elevator stays in these two categories of space.
Therefor going out from Dinu, Ionel establishes that the elevator will be especially at superior floors.
On the contrary going out from Anton he will establish that the situation is reversed!

Romanian version

Ionel are doi prieteni care locuiesc in blocul turn:Dinu la etajul 3 si Anton la etajul 14. Ionel isi vizita adesea prietenii mergand cand la unul, cand la celalalt. Intr-o zi, mirat,a facut urmatoarea remarca: "Ce curios! Cand plec de la Dinu, aproape intotdeauna ascensorul se afla la etajele superioare. Din contra, cand plec de la Anton ascensorul este la etajele inferioare. Blocheaza oare cineva ascensorul la etajele de la mijloc?"

Raspuns: Sa admitem ca ascensoarele functioneaza continuu, deci, privind in jos de la etajul 3, sa spunem, ascensorul se va afla in special in partea superioara.
Sa admitem ca blocul turn are 17 etaje si ca practic ascensorul merge permanent de jos in sus si inapoi. Intervalul de timp necesar ascensorului sa coboare de la etajul 3 la parter si sa revina la etajul 3 este mic in comparatie cu intervalul de timp in care urca de la etajul 3 la etajul 17, si revine la etajul 3. Timpul poate fi, deci,impartit in doua categorii:
 -momente in care ascensorul se afla sub etajul 3 
 -momente in care se afla la etaje superioare.
Probabilitatea de a intalni ascensorul la etaje inferioare-sau la etaje superioare-este proportionala cu timpul cat liftul sta in aceste doua categorii de spatiu. Deci, iesind de la Dinu, Ionel constata ca ascensorul se va afla in special la etajele superioare. Dimpotriva, iesind de la Anton, va constata ca, situatia este inversa!

Prof. Tudor Victor
''Mihai Eminescu'' High school, Calarasi, Romania