Making Change

Roland Piquepaille writes "There are mostly four kinds of coins in circulation in the U.S: 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, and 25 cents. But is it the most efficient way to give back change? This Science News article says that a computer scientist has found an answer. "For the current four-denomination system, [Jeffrey Shallit of the University of Waterloo] found that, on average, a change-maker must return 4.70 coins with every transaction. He discovered two sets of four denominations that minimize the transaction cost. The combination of 1 cent, 5 cents, 18 cents, and 25 cents requires only 3.89 coins in change per transaction, as does the combination of 1 cent, 5 cents, 18 cents, and 29 cents." He also found that change could be done more efficiently in Canada with the introduction of an 83-cent coin and in Europe with the addition of a 1.33- or 1.37-Euro coin. Check this column for more details and references." The paper (postscript) is online.

Comments

hey buddIE, can you spare a .com?

[Anonymous Coward]

& other annoying georgewellian depression era/cross-posted verbage.

it's hardly as powerful as va lairIE's pateNTdead PostBlock(tm) device, but it goes to show US whois yOUR daddIE.

more iP00(tm) LIEk behaviours flushed DOWt.

lookout bullow. the daze of the phonIE bullonly payper liesense hostage ransom stock markup FraUD felon's bullshipping industrIE, is dissolving into coolapps.

details at trustworthycomputing.com(missarIE)

consult with yOUR creator regarding decisions of the heart/mind/wallet. that's the spirit.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8& oe =UTF-8&q=microsoft+%22bill+weisgerber%22&btnG=Goog le+Search

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8& oe =UTF-8&q=microsoft+attacks+linux+gnu&btnG=Google+S earch

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8& oe =UTF-8&q=microsoft+sabotages+java

yikes. i mean yuk. i mean lookout bullow.