The 12 Balls Problem
Guys I am back with an old real life problem, which is not yet solved. As the name of the blog says, its obviously about the 12 Balls
Problem. But this blog is not just about the famous mathematical problem. This blog is about the problem this mathematical problem created in my life. The actual 12 balls problem obviously has solution. Click the link for
Solution.
I had a friend Murli in Onmobile Bangalore mentioned in another of my posts Swimming and KLPD Switch. He was the most intelligent friend I had. Everyone even believed in his intelligence. But he had superiority complex with others. He wanted everyone to accept that he is better than them. Many did, so did I, to keep the environment of the group healthy. Murli and I were sort of bully in the office group. I was sensitive to some extent. I made sure nobody was hurt in the process. But Murli wasn't.
Murli, I, my college friend Raj and 3 more friends, who joined the company together rented a row house together. Raj and I even shared a room, as we were friends from college. Also Raj was the most respected guy in the batch. So when Murli used to bully Raj, I used to jump in defense. Either I diverted the bullying on someone else or Murli himself or sportingly took it on me. Most of the time Murli and I shared common side in arguments.
Murli was interviewed in Adobe in his college days. He was given this 12 balls problem to solve. But he could not solve it that time even in half an hour, probably due to interview stress. When he narrated me this interview story, I asked him to let me try the 12 balls problem before he gives me the solution. He peacefully let me because he knew I couldn't solve it and started watching TV. I tried my level best on the problem because I myself am a curious puzzle solver. But.
After few minutes, I went to Murli. I went to Murli, luckily, with the solution. He looked at his watch. It was hardly 12 minutes that I took to solve the 12 balls problem. He was shit shocked. For the first time in 6 months I had known him, I saw him so shocked.
That day was the last day Murli was good to me. He couldn't accept somebody being as intelligent as he is. After the incident, whatever the topic is, he chose the opposite side. If I said anything good about SRK, our favorite topic, he opposed. When I bullied anyone he came in their defense against me. For the initial few days, I let him say bitter things to me, which was not actually bullying, but offending. But after a week, my limit was reached. I made Murli have a taste his own medicine. He and I stopped hanging out without any third person. Being in the same house and same company hardly 10 meters away, we did not had friendly interactions, though I was always open to it. I initiated several times but he took least interest in having fun then to compete. But we did had a healthy competition.
Everyone in the house knew something is fishy between Murli and I. No one liked the atmosphere in the house. Rest of the 4 members became a part of everyday fight. Everyday 6 of us quarreled for some minor things. The house use to get partitioned into 2 groups and obviously Murli and I on different side. He stayed in the side I was not. He jumped in any of my discussion with others and made it a debate. The house did not remained the problem between 2 people but problem of 6 people. The 6 people problem or the 12 balls problem.
Six months later Murli got offer from Amazon Hyderabad. On his last day in our house, we slept in the same room. We kept silent for hours. But something clicked, I broke the silence and we started chatting in the dark. He told me that he always knew I always defended Raj from getting bullied. I told him that we have been quarreling for last 6 months; and I know the reason what spoiled our friendship is the 12 balls problem. He admitted it as well that his ego was hurt by the feeling that he is not truly the greatest brain in his circle. He tried his ass out to crack Amazon to prove this. I was happy that something positive came out from it, in the end.
Conclusion to the friendship is that Murli, Raj and I all are currently in NCR for more than an year, hardly few kms apart, and we all know it; but Raj and I haven't met Murli yet.
I had a friend Murli in Onmobile Bangalore mentioned in another of my posts Swimming and KLPD Switch. He was the most intelligent friend I had. Everyone even believed in his intelligence. But he had superiority complex with others. He wanted everyone to accept that he is better than them. Many did, so did I, to keep the environment of the group healthy. Murli and I were sort of bully in the office group. I was sensitive to some extent. I made sure nobody was hurt in the process. But Murli wasn't.
Murli, I, my college friend Raj and 3 more friends, who joined the company together rented a row house together. Raj and I even shared a room, as we were friends from college. Also Raj was the most respected guy in the batch. So when Murli used to bully Raj, I used to jump in defense. Either I diverted the bullying on someone else or Murli himself or sportingly took it on me. Most of the time Murli and I shared common side in arguments.
Murli was interviewed in Adobe in his college days. He was given this 12 balls problem to solve. But he could not solve it that time even in half an hour, probably due to interview stress. When he narrated me this interview story, I asked him to let me try the 12 balls problem before he gives me the solution. He peacefully let me because he knew I couldn't solve it and started watching TV. I tried my level best on the problem because I myself am a curious puzzle solver. But.
After few minutes, I went to Murli. I went to Murli, luckily, with the solution. He looked at his watch. It was hardly 12 minutes that I took to solve the 12 balls problem. He was shit shocked. For the first time in 6 months I had known him, I saw him so shocked.
That day was the last day Murli was good to me. He couldn't accept somebody being as intelligent as he is. After the incident, whatever the topic is, he chose the opposite side. If I said anything good about SRK, our favorite topic, he opposed. When I bullied anyone he came in their defense against me. For the initial few days, I let him say bitter things to me, which was not actually bullying, but offending. But after a week, my limit was reached. I made Murli have a taste his own medicine. He and I stopped hanging out without any third person. Being in the same house and same company hardly 10 meters away, we did not had friendly interactions, though I was always open to it. I initiated several times but he took least interest in having fun then to compete. But we did had a healthy competition.
Everyone in the house knew something is fishy between Murli and I. No one liked the atmosphere in the house. Rest of the 4 members became a part of everyday fight. Everyday 6 of us quarreled for some minor things. The house use to get partitioned into 2 groups and obviously Murli and I on different side. He stayed in the side I was not. He jumped in any of my discussion with others and made it a debate. The house did not remained the problem between 2 people but problem of 6 people. The 6 people problem or the 12 balls problem.
Six months later Murli got offer from Amazon Hyderabad. On his last day in our house, we slept in the same room. We kept silent for hours. But something clicked, I broke the silence and we started chatting in the dark. He told me that he always knew I always defended Raj from getting bullied. I told him that we have been quarreling for last 6 months; and I know the reason what spoiled our friendship is the 12 balls problem. He admitted it as well that his ego was hurt by the feeling that he is not truly the greatest brain in his circle. He tried his ass out to crack Amazon to prove this. I was happy that something positive came out from it, in the end.
Conclusion to the friendship is that Murli, Raj and I all are currently in NCR for more than an year, hardly few kms apart, and we all know it; but Raj and I haven't met Murli yet.
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