Update: yes; secretary problem has a cool and clean mathematical “next bestest candidate after 1/e trials” solution. Real life is a lot more complicated. if you work off that solution it has a 1/e chance of selecting the last candidate. which personally is atrocious odds to be playing around with. Considering the above mentioned opportunity cost ticking-time race, I need better odds than that. even if it sacrifices my chances of finding the best candidate.
if you are at the 1/e*n point and you have passed the best candidate you will end up at the last candidate. If you have any suspicion that you have passed the best (or very good candidates) maybe its time to change your rule to select the best candidate excluding one known candidate. or (again) the candidate that is better than 90% of existing trials.
Update: yes; secretary problem has a cool and clean mathematical “next bestest candidate after 1/e trials” solution. Real life is a lot more complicated. if you work off that solution it has a 1/e chance of selecting the last candidate. which personally is atrocious odds to be playing around with. Considering the above mentioned opportunity cost ticking-time race, I need better odds than that. even if it sacrifices my chances of finding the best candidate.
if you are at the 1/e*n point and you have passed the best candidate you will end up at the last candidate. If you have any suspicion that you have passed the best (or very good candidates) maybe its time to change your rule to select the best candidate excluding one known candidate. or (again) the candidate that is better than 90% of existing trials.