Pay an employee using a gold rod of 7 units ? | Puzzles for Interview - Interview Preparation PDF Download

Introduction

If you are an employer and have a gold rod of 7 units, and you want to pay an employee who works for you for 7 days, then this puzzle is for you. The challenge is to pay the employee in a way that the number of units of the employee's rod increases by one at the end of each day.

Solution

To solve this puzzle, the employer needs to make at most 2 cuts in the gold rod. Here's how the employer can pay the employee for seven days:
1. On the first day, the employer gives a 1-unit cut from the gold rod to the employee.
2. On the second day, the employer takes back the 1-unit cut given on the first day and gives a 2-unit cut to the employee.
3. On the third day, the employer gives a 1-unit cut to the employee, leaving the employer with a 4-unit rod.
4. On the fourth day, the employer takes back the 1-unit and 2-unit cuts given on the first and second day, and gives a 4-unit cut to the employee.
5. On the fifth day, the employer gives a 1-unit cut to the employee.
6. On the sixth day, the employer takes back the 1-unit cut given on the fifth day and gives a 2-unit cut to the employee.
7. On the seventh day, the employer gives a 1-unit cut to the employee.

By following this method, the employer can pay the employee for seven days and increase the employee's rod units by one at the end of each day.

Conclusion

This puzzle is a great brain teaser that challenges your problem-solving skills. By breaking down the problem into smaller parts, you can come up with a solution that seems impossible at first glance. This puzzle also teaches us the importance of thinking creatively and outside the box to solve complex problems.