# The general counterfeit coin problem

• Published in 1995
In the collections
Given $c$ nickels among which there may be a counterfeit coin, which can only be told apart by its weight being different from the others, and moreover $b$ balances. What is the minimal number of weighings to decide whether there is a counterfeit nickel, if so which one it is and whether it is heavier or lighter than a genuine nickel. We give an answer to this question for sequential and nonsequential strategies and we will consider the problem of more than one counterfeit coin.

### BibTeX entry

@article{TheGeneralCounterfeitCoinProblem,
title = {The general counterfeit coin problem},
author = {Lorenz Halbeisen and Norbert Hungerb{\"{u}}hler},
url = {http://user.math.uzh.ch/halbeisen/publications/pdf/coin.pdf},
urldate = {2016-08-24},
abstract = {Given {\$}c{\$} nickels among which there may be a counterfeit coin, which can only be told
apart by its weight being different from the others, and moreover {\$}b{\$} balances. What is the minimal number of weighings to decide whether there is a counterfeit nickel, if so which one it is and whether it is heavier or lighter than a genuine nickel. We give an answer to this question for sequential and nonsequential strategies and we will consider the problem of more than one counterfeit coin.},
comment = {},
collections = {Puzzles,Easily explained},
year = 1995
}