I have 30 socks in my drawer, and they vary in colour, I have 12 Black, 10 Blue, 2 Brown, and 6 grey socks. If I close my eyes and pull socks out at random, how many socks must I pull out before I can be certain to have a matching pair? I know there are similar questions but I need to know the method in how you obtain the answer or formula if that is what is required. Thank you in advance.
2026-03-25 04:17:32.1774412252
Sock Drawer removal probability
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The problem you've described actually isn't probability but an application of the pigeonhole principle:
In worst case, you pull out one of each color, so the 5th sock much match one of the others.