Chapter 8.4, Problem 32E

Email Chain Letters Suppose the email chain letter in Exercise 31 were to go through 12 unbroken levels.

1. a. How many people would receive a letter asking for money in the 12th mailing?
2. b. What is the significance of this number?

31. Email Chain Letters Suppose you receive an email chain letter with 5 names on it, and to keep the chain unbroken, you mail a dollar to the person whose name is at the top of the list, cross out the top name, add your name to the bottom, and mail it to 5 friends.

1. a. How many friends will receive your letter?
2. b. If your friends cross the second person from the original list off the list and mail out 5 letters each, how many people will receive letters from your friends?
3. c. How many “descendants” of your letters will receive email letters in the next two levels if no one breaks the chain?
4. d. Describe the type of sequence that gives the number of people receiving the letter at each level.