MathDB

There are

40

identical gas cylinders, gas pressure values in which we are unknown and may be evil. It is allowed to connect any cylinders with each other in an amount not exceeding a given natural number

k

, and then separate them; while the pressure gas in the connected cylinders is set equal to the arithmetic average of the pressures in them before the connection. At what minimum

k

is there a way to equalize the pressures in all

40

cylinders, regardless of initial pressure distribution in the cylinders?

Problem Statement