Question:

139 persons have signed up for an elimination tournament. All players are to be paired for the first round, with one bye in case of odd number. What is the minimum number of matches to determine the champion?

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In elimination tournaments, total matches = total eliminations = initial number of players minus 1.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • 136
  • 137
  • 138
  • 139
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

In any knockout or elimination tournament, only one person wins.
Key fact: Each match eliminates exactly one person.
To go from 139 players to 1 champion, you must eliminate 138 players.
Hence, minimum number of matches = number of eliminations = \[ \boxed{138} \] Byes only reduce the number of players in a round but don’t reduce the total eliminations needed.
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