Hudson River Trading–styleSoftware EngineerAlgorithm DeveloperQuestion #13

You have three sock drawers: one contains red and blue socks, another contains blue and green socks, and the third contains green and red socks. What is the expected number of socks you must draw to be certain about which drawer is which, assuming each drawer has a large and equal number of each color?

Build Your Approach

State the assumptions, try a simple case, then work toward a general solution. Check the result and explain how it changes if an assumption changes.

Try the free diagnostic with worked solutions →

Get Free Interview Prep Resources

Practice the Reasoning Behind the Answer

Bring your target roles and interview timeline to a free quant consult. Discuss your preparation priorities and how Quant Blueprint’s lessons, practice and mock interviews can help.

Book a Free Quant Consult

Your goals · your preparation · your next steps