How many pieces can 4 straight cuts make in a pizza, if the slices don't need to match?
You don't need to cut through the center, and the pieces don't need to be equal — just straight cuts across a circle. What's the maximum number of pieces you can get from exactly 4 straight cuts?
Reveal the answer
11 pieces, not 8. Each new cut can cross every previous cut, and crossing k existing cuts splits one existing piece into k+1 new ones. The running maximum (1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16...) is called the lazy caterer's sequence: after n cuts, the most pieces possible is 1 + n(n+1)/2.