Gus Wirth wrote: > I looked at the programming contest description for this event > <http://icpc.baylor.edu/icpc/> this year and realized that there is an > error in their problem description. Their first problem states that a > couple with A+ and B+ blood types can have a child with any blood type. > This is false if both parents have both alleles the same for either type > (AA or BB) or the Rh factor (++). I hope the students noticed this error.
Given the information, I would have to agree that the problem as stated is correct. The information that we have is blood type A+ and B+. There are numerous combinations that it can be brought about: AA++ BB++ AA+- BB+- AO++ BO++ AO+- BO+- We simply don't know which one (from each column) to pick. Therefore, we must conclude that it is possible for a couple with A+ and B+ blood types to produce a child with any of the eight blood types, if the parents have AO+- and BO+- combinations. If we knew more about the lineage, we may be able to rule out potential combinations (if the mother's parents were both AB+, then the mother is either AA++ or AA+- combination, so we can rule out her child having O+, O-, B+ or B- blood types), and thus rule out certain blood types (such as the Os, or Rh -s). With enough information, we might also be able to determine that any child of that couple would be AB+. I tried to keep my terminology consistent. -john -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-lpsg
