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No idea if this is a math problem, but it sounds like a problem that would have been covered in my discrete math class 4 years ago, which I remember very little about.

This is a real life situation, not an assignment question: 3 people in a group. ~50 homework papers need to be graded. Each homework assignment needs to be graded by at least 2 people. What is the most efficient way of doing this so each person does an equal amount of grading?

blindside044
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  • In the real world there are more pressing concerns than equal work. We want fair and thorough grading. I would pose 3 or 6 problems. Each of the 3 graders would grade 50 copies of the same 1 or 2 problems following my written list of the key points and arguments which must be made by the student. I would resolve any doubt. – Carl Christian Oct 31 '19 at 21:31

2 Answers2

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Divide the homework into three close as possible equal sized packages a,b,c.
Give a to 1, b to 2, c to 3.
After they graded the homework,
give b to 1, c to 2, a to 3.

William Elliot
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  • Interesting variation: How to get it done in the least amount of time based on how fast each grader works and not restricting the problem so that each grader must do equal work – gen-ℤ ready to perish Oct 31 '19 at 23:00
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Divide 50 by 3 using Euclidian division: $50 = 16.3 + 2$. Divide the first 48 papers in three equal groups, A, B and C; the first person grades groups A and B, the second person groups B and C and the last person groups A and C.

You should be able to figure out what to do with the remaining two papers (which might also be one, or zero).

Alexander Geldhof
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