Question

DIRECTION for the question: Solve the following question and mark the best possible option. The 30 members of a club decided to play a badminton singles tournament. Every time a member loses a game, he is out of the tournament. How many matches have been played to determine the winner?

• A. 29
• B. 61
• C. 60
• D. 30
• E. 31

Hint:

In knockout tournaments, matches = participants − 1.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In a single-elimination tournament, every match produces exactly one loser, and that loser is immediately eliminated.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
To determine one winner out of 30 members, we must eliminate 29 members. Since each match results in exactly one person being eliminated, the number of matches required is equal to the number of people to be eliminated.
Step 3: Calculation:
Number of matches = Total players - 1
Matches = $30 - 1 = 29$.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The minimum number of matches is 29. Thus, the correct option is (b).