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During a contest, I came up with a question:

What are the minimum number of tournaments needed to get the winner? A player is out when he loses two matches. Total players are 51. ( Assume Badminton )

I'm not sure how to solve it. Unfortunately, It is confusing me with combinations and permutations. Any suggestions? Thanks!

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    Just to be 100% sure, does "tournament" = "match"? There's probably different interpretations of these terms in mathematics, sports, and everyday English. Also, are you after the minimum number of tournaments to *guarantee* a winner (regardless of the outcomes of individual matches)?2012-10-23
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    @DouglasS.Stones Here Tournaments simply means "A game or contest in which two persons compete with each other" . Dont take it too seriously .Keep it simple :)2012-10-26

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