At a party

At a party 12 guests left their shoes in the hallway. In total there were 6 pairs of men's shoes, 6 pairs of women's shoes, 6 pairs of brown shoes, 6 pairs of black shoes. After the party it was found that some of the shoes had disappeared. 5 men's and 5 brown shoes had been stolen.

a, What is the smallest number of guests that could be affected by the theft?
b, What is the largest number of guests that could be affected by the theft?

P.S. A guest is considered affected by the theft if at least one of his shoes is missing.

Final Answer:

a =  3
b =  10

Step-by-step explanation:

$a=\lceil 5/2\rceil =3$

$b=5+1+4=10$

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