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[Math Puzzle] Day8

Blogs > evanthebouncy!
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
May 05 2009 01:33 GMT
#1
Last day's puzzle was first solved by Malongo, good job! I wonder what quality do I lack in such a way that I can describe what kind of solution it is but I cannot find it, hopefully I learned something. Again awesome job Malongooo~

+ Show Spoiler [solution] +

See Malongo's solution. I did not solve this puzzle, but his solution is correct by testing and inspection.


Today's puzzle is:
You have a dark tunnel, and 4 people has to cross the tunnel. These 4 people, a, b, c, d, takes different amounts of time to cross the tunnel.
a takes 1 min
b takes 2 min
c takes 5 min
d takes 10 min
There's only 1 flash light, and to cross the tunnel, you must keep the flashlight close by. Only 2 persons can go at a time, and the faster person has to slow down for the slower person. For instance, if a and d go together with the flash_light, it will take 10 minutes.

Your Job:
Devise an algorithm such that it takes the shortest amount of time for all 4 persons to cross the tunnel, how long does it take?

Extra info:
Again, put answers in spoilers, and please show HOW you arrive at the solution, not just the solution if possible so others can learn some problem solving techniques.

GL HF!

Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24752 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-05-05 01:37:07
May 05 2009 01:36 GMT
#2
+ Show Spoiler +
Obvious choice:

idea = fastest guy keeps returning with flashlight

a and d go together (10)

a comes back (1)

a and c go together (5)

a comes back (1)

a and b go together (2)

total = 10 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 2 = 19 minutes

I'm guessing there's a quicker way but that's a good start :p
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Lemonwalrus
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States5465 Posts
May 05 2009 01:39 GMT
#3
+ Show Spoiler +
Same thing micro said, I can't think of a way it could possibly be done faster.
LTT
Profile Blog Joined March 2003
Shakuras1095 Posts
May 05 2009 01:41 GMT
#4
+ Show Spoiler +
You want to eliminate the most amount of minutes. You do that by crossing 10 and 5 at the same time. The rest is just setup.

a + b => 2 minutes
a back => 1 minute
c + d => 10 minutes
b back => 2 minutes
a + b => 2 minutes

17 Minutes.
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2802 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-05-05 01:44:12
May 05 2009 01:43 GMT
#5
+ Show Spoiler +
0
a and b go togeter +2
a comes back +1
a and c go together +5
a comes back +1
a and d go together +10
= 19 minutes

edit: thats brilliant LTT
beefhamburger
Profile Joined December 2007
United States3962 Posts
May 05 2009 01:44 GMT
#6
LTT has the correct answer. I remember this puzzle being posted on TL before multiple times in other threads.
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2802 Posts
May 05 2009 01:46 GMT
#7
alright, next puzzle...
thunk
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States6233 Posts
May 05 2009 01:48 GMT
#8
+ Show Spoiler +
a takes 1 min
b takes 2 min
c takes 5 min
d takes 10 min

a/b= 2 min
a comes back -> 1 min
c/d -> 10 min
b comes back -> 2 min
a/b = 2 min

Definitely a common problem, LTT got it right.
Every time Jung Myung Hoon builds a vulture, two probes die. || My post count was a palindrome and I was never posting again.
Lemonwalrus
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States5465 Posts
May 05 2009 01:49 GMT
#9
/me bows before LTT
JeeJee
Profile Blog Joined July 2003
Canada5652 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-05-05 02:09:31
May 05 2009 02:08 GMT
#10
+ Show Spoiler +

ok we obviously need to run the 10&5 together to save as much time as possible, and 10/5 must only run once.. therefore we need to run the quick ones around them, to minimize downtime in between and allow going back and forth
1&2 forward = 2 //quick ones first
1 back = 3
5&10 forward = 13 //necessary
2 back = 15
1&2 forward = 17 //quick ones last
(\o/)  If you want it, you find a way. Otherwise you find excuses. No exceptions.
 /_\   aka Shinbi (requesting a name change since 27/05/09 ☺)
Archaic
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States4024 Posts
May 05 2009 02:34 GMT
#11
On May 05 2009 10:49 Lemonwalrus wrote:
/me bows before LTT


I hate TL in how everyone is smarter than me... But I love it so much more...
TanGeng
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Sanya12364 Posts
May 05 2009 03:15 GMT
#12
+ Show Spoiler +

17 minutes

1) 2 across and 1 back means that to get all 4 across, the shortest is 3 pairs across and 2 singles back.
2) 10 and 5 should be brought across together since 5 is much larger than both 2 and 1. It's possible to cross back and forth with 1 & 2 twice over in the same time it takes for the 5.
3) Trips across to the other side have to either 1 & 2 or 10 & 5 in order to segregate 1 & 2 and 5 & 10.
4) 5 & 10 has to be the middle trip across. Otherwise, a single trip back with 5 or 10 would have to happen. Therefore, the first and third trips across have to be 1 & 2.
5) Since 1 & 2 cross over twice, both have to cross back once during the two single trips back.
6) The trips back can be in any order. Making the trip with 1 first or 2 first does not matter.

Trips across takes 2 + 10 + 2
Trips back takes 1 + 2.
Total is 17 minutes.
Moderator我们是个踏实的赞助商模式俱乐部
Jonoman92
Profile Blog Joined September 2006
United States9105 Posts
May 05 2009 03:34 GMT
#13
Usually it's phrased as a boat and a river. Way to change it up with a flashlight in a tunnel.
naonao
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States847 Posts
May 05 2009 04:17 GMT
#14
+ Show Spoiler +
Tell the people to man up and go through the tunnel without a flashlight, how hard can it be...... send them one after another with fastest first so it takes the slowest guy 10 minutes ot get through
Total Time: 10 minutes + a few seconds for the others to go in first
Malongo
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Chile3472 Posts
May 05 2009 04:27 GMT
#15
yeah last day my solution was ugly in someway. I arrived at it after several minutes of trying with logic combinations with the doors. With a lot of failed math (trying a and b or a or c in the doors) I realized that 2 direct questions about the doors (whatever the combination between them) left me with the 2 lights still unknown as "variables". I decided then trying some weird questions involving directly the lights in the clock (would you turn white if theres a car). Then I realized that whenever the answer is no the lights where the same and from there it was almost all try and error.
Help me! im still improving my English. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. M. G.
BottleAbuser
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Korea (South)1888 Posts
May 05 2009 04:42 GMT
#16
I just saw yesterday's, and I'm wondering why the problem allows two questions. That makes it trivial!
Compilers are like boyfriends, you miss a period and they go crazy on you.
illu
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2531 Posts
May 05 2009 05:04 GMT
#17
I am too lazy to solve this one ^^
:]
FirstBorn
Profile Blog Joined March 2007
Romania3955 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-05-05 05:06:20
May 05 2009 05:06 GMT
#18
+ Show Spoiler +
A+B go together (2 mins) then A comes back(+1min). C+D go together ( +10 mins) then B comes back (+2min). Then A+B go together (+2 min)

So it's : 2+1+10+2+2=17 mins yay.
SonuvBob: Yes, the majority of TL is college-aged, and thus clearly stupid.
evanthebouncy!
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United States12796 Posts
May 05 2009 07:16 GMT
#19
On May 05 2009 13:42 BottleAbuser wrote:
I just saw yesterday's, and I'm wondering why the problem allows two questions. That makes it trivial!

how
Life is run, it is dance, it is fast, passionate and BAM!, you dance and sing and booze while you can for now is the time and time is mine. Smile and laugh when still can for now is the time and soon you die!
Malongo
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Chile3472 Posts
May 05 2009 07:31 GMT
#20
On May 05 2009 16:16 evanthebouncy! wrote:
Show nested quote +
On May 05 2009 13:42 BottleAbuser wrote:
I just saw yesterday's, and I'm wondering why the problem allows two questions. That makes it trivial!

how

Wow you can solve it with only one question? i dont think thats posible. Again anything is posible.
Help me! im still improving my English. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. M. G.
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