Question

In the Olympic tennis event ( in which each tennis player gets eliminated from the tournament after the first defeat) there are 37 players participating. Can you count how many matches there need to be until there is one winner.?

Answer 1

Answer: 26 games in total.

Explanation:

If in each game we have one winner and one loser, then after each game we have one less player.

first, out of 37 players, we can write it as 36 players + 1 player that does not play in the first round

the 36 players play games. Because in each game we need 2 players, we have a total of 36/2 = 18 games

in those 18 games, we eliminate 18 players, so now we have 37 - 18 = 19 players.

Now, we can write 19 = 18 players + 1 player that does not play this round.

From the 18 players, we have 18/2 = 9 games.

And from those 9 games, we lose 9 players, so now we have:

19 - 9 = 10 players.

Now from those 10 players, we have 10/2 = 5 games, so after those 5 games we have 10 - 5 = 5 players.

Now we can write 5 = 4 players + 1 player that does not play this round.

from the 4 players we have 4/2 = 2 games, after those 2 games we end with 5 - 2 = 3 players.

And from those last 3 players, we have two games, where in each game one player is eliminated until we have only one winner.

Then the total number of games is:

18 + 9 + 5 + 2 + 2 = 26 games