Puzzle : And Escape Story of Robbers Continues

Where story begins?

Babylas, Hilary, and Sosthenes have escaped the tower and divided their treasure into three bags. But now they must cross a river, and the boat can accommodate only two men at a time, or one man and a bag. None will trust another with his bag on the shore, but they agree that a man in the boat can be trusted to drop or retrieve a bag at either shore, as he’ll be too busy to tamper with it.

 How can they cross the river?

Source. 


This is how they can cross the river! 

 

Solution: Robbers' Planned Journey Across the River

Why they need a PLAN?

Let's recall that the boat can accommodate only two men at a time, or one man and a bag.

1. Sosthenes takes his bag across the river leaves it at other shore & comes back.

2. Sosthenes takes Hilari's bag to the other shore & leaves it there where his own bag is already there. 

3. Now, Hilari takes Sosthenes to the other shore, leaves him there & come back after recollecting own bag.

4. Hilari drops own bag at near shore & takes Babylas to other shore & returns back.

5. Next, he takes Babylas's bag & drops it at other shore where Babylas is waiting for his bag. And Hilary returns once again.

6. Finally, he collects his own bag and takes it to other shore.

The River Crossing Challenge!

There are 3 men, two Chimps, and one Gorilla on one side of a river :

• They have a boat but only the men and the Gorilla can row the boat across, so there must always be a human and/or Gorilla on the boat.

• The boat can only carry two people/monkeys.

• If monkeys and humans are together on one side of the river there must be as many or more people than monkeys for the men's safety. 

How can all men and monkeys make it to the other side ? 



Here is the PROCESS by which it can be done! 

Responding to The River Crossing Challenge!

What was the challenge ahead?

Recalling the conditions those need to be followed. 

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• They have a boat but only the men and the Gorilla can row the boat across, so there must always be a human and/or Gorilla on the boat.

• The boat can only carry two people/monkeys.

• If monkeys and humans are together on one side of the river there must be as many or more people than monkeys for the men's safety.

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Here, we go step by step process. (M - Men, G - Gorilla, C - Chimps)

1. The gorilla takes 1 chimp across the river and comes back. 

    (M - 3, G - 1, C - 1 | M - 0, G - 0, C - 1) 

2. Again, gorilla takes 1 man across the river and comes back. 

    (M - 2, G - 1, C - 1 | M - 1, G - 0, C - 1)

Now, here gorilla can't take chimp across the river as that will violate condition 3 on that side. Neither gorilla can take 1 man on other side and return back since number of monkeys on returning side will be more than people again violating condition 3.

3. Next, one man drops gorilla at the other side and bring back chimp.

    (M - 2, G - 0, C - 2 | M - 1, G - 1, C - 0) 

4. Now, 2 men has to cross the river and send back gorilla for the rest of work.

   (M - 0, G - 1, C - 2 | M - 3, G - 0, C - 0) 

5. Finally, gorilla takes 2 chimps across the river in 2 round trips.

   (M - 0, G - 0, C - 0 | M - 3, G - 1, C - 2) 

 

Crossing The Stone Bridge : Puzzle

Three people, Ann, Ben and Jen want to cross a river from left bank to right bank. Another three people, Tim, Jim and Kim want to cross the same river from right bank to left bank.

However, there is no boat but only 1 stone bridge consisting of just 7 big stones(not tied to each other), each of which can hold only 1 person at a time. All these people have a limited jumping capacity, so that they can only jump to the stone immediately next to them if it is empty.
 
Now, all of these people are quite arrogant and so will never turn back once they have begun their journey. That is, they can only move forward in the direction of their destination. They are also quite selfish and will not help anybody traveling in the same direction as themselves.

But they are also practical and know that they will not be able to cross without helping each other. Each of them is willing to help a person coming from opposite direction so that they can get a path for their own journey ahead. With this help, a person can jump two stones at a time, such that if, say, Ann and Tim are occupying two adjacent stones and the stone next to Tim on the other side is empty, then Tim will help Ann in directly jumping to that stone, and vice versa.

Now initially the 6 people are lined up on the 7 stones from left to right as follows:

Ann Ben Jen emp Tim Jim Kim
(where emp stands for empty stone).

Your job is to find how they will cross over the stones such that they are finally lined up as follows:

Tim Jim Kim emp Ann Ben Jen

Now, find out the shortest step-wise procedure, assuming that Tim moves first.

THIS is the shortest way! 

Crossing The Stone Bridge Puzzle : Solution

What was the puzzle?

Initially the 6 people are lined up on the 7 stones from left to right as follows:
Ann Ben Jen EMP Tim Jim Kim
(where EMP stands for empty stone).

Step 1: Tim jumps to occupy the empty stone.

Ann Ben Jen Tim EMP Jim Kim

Step 2: Tim helps Jen in occupying the newly emptied stone between him and Jim. 

Ann Ben EMP Tim Jen Jim Kim
 
Step 3: Ben occupies the stone emptied by Jen.

Ann EMP Ben Tim Jen Jim Kim

Step 4: Ben helps Tim in occupying the newly emptied stone. 

Ann Tim Ben EMP Jen Jim Kim

Step 5: Jen helps Jim in occupying the empty stone. 

Ann Tim Ben Jim Jen EMP Kim

Step 6: Kim occupies the stone emptied by Jim. 

Ann Tim Ben Jim Jen Kim EMP

Step 7: Kim helps Jen in occupying the stone vacated by her. 

Ann Tim Ben Jim EMP Kim Jen
  
Step 8: Jim helps Ben in occupying the stone vacated by Jen. 

Ann Tim EMP Jim Ben Kim Jen

Step 9: Tim helps Ann in occupying the empty stone.

EMP Tim Ann Jim Ben Kim Jen

Step 10: Tim jumps to the stone emptied by Ann.

Tim EMP Ann Jim Ben Kim Jen

Step 11: Ann helps Jim in occupying the stone vacated by Tim.

Tim Jim Ann EMP Ben Kim Jen

Step 12: Ben helps Kim in occupying the stone vacated by Jim. 

Tim Jim Ann Kim Ben EMP Jen

Step 13: Ben occupies the empty stone.

Tim Jim Ann Kim EMP Ben Jen

Step 14: Kim helps Ann in occupying the stone emptied by Ben. 

Tim Jim EMP Kim Ann Ben Jen

Step 15: Kim jumps to the stone emptied by Ann.

Tim Jim Kim EMP Ann Ben Jen

This is exactly what we wanted!

 

Row Row Row A Tiny RowBoat : Puzzle

Walter, Xavier, Yoshi, and Zeke crossed a river in a tiny rowboat. They all started on the same side of the river. They made three trips from the starting side to the destination side, and two trips from the destination side to the starting side. Here are some facts:

1. On each trip from the starting side of the river to the destination side, two people were in the boat, but only one person rowed the boat, and that person rowed the boat for the entire trip.

2. On each return trip, only one person was in the boat.

3. Walter is the weakest of the group. He could only row the boat if no one else is in it.

4. Xavier is the second weakest of the group. He can only row the boat if he is by himself or if Yoshi, the lightest of the group, is a passenger.

5. Each man rowed the boat at least once. 

Click here for SOLUTION! 

Row Row Row A Tiny RowBoat Puzzle : Solution

What was the puzzle?

We know, Walter, Xavier, Yoshi, and Zeke crossed a river in a tiny rowboat. They all started on the same side of the river. They made three trips from the starting side to the destination side, and two trips from the destination side to the starting side. 

And we have some facts:

1. On each trip from the starting side of the river to the destination side, two people were in the boat, but only one person rowed the boat, and that person rowed the boat for the entire trip.

2. On each return trip, only one person was in the boat.

3. Walter is the weakest of the group. He could only row the boat if no one else is in it.

4. Xavier is the second weakest of the group. He can only row the boat if he is by himself or if Yoshi, the lightest of the group, is a passenger.

5. Each man rowed the boat at least once. 

ANALYSIS :

1] Walter must not had rowed from start to the destination since he is weakest among as per FACT 3. Since, he had to row at least once as per FACT 5, he must had rowed a return tip.


2] The person who had rowed twice, must not had both trips from start to destination. That's because, in that case, he would have had needed third trip in form of return trip to get back to the start once again. So, he must had rowed a return trip at least once.

3] Suppose Walter is the person who rowed the boat twice. Both of his trips must be return trips as concluded in [1] above. 

So if Walter had rowed 2 return trips then each of Xavier, Yoshi and Zeke must have rowed 1 trip from start to the destination. 

If Walter had 'taken' Zeke (while Zeke rowing) across and returned then he would have had to 'take' Yoshi (while Yoshi rowing) across as Xavier being unable to row Walter as per FACT 4. And on returning back to the start after leaving Yoshi across, Walter and Xavier would have had been at the starting point. Now, Walter being unable to row with passenger & Xavier being unable to row Walter, both would have had stuck at the start point.

In short, Walter is not the person for sure who had rowed twice.

4] We know, Walter had one return trip. So the other return trip must have been rowed by someone among Xavier, Yoshi or Zeke. Moreover, the rest of three trips from start to the destination must have rowed by Xavier, Yoshi and Zeke in some order. 

That's how, the one person among Xavier, Yoshi and Zeke, must have rowed twice, one trip from source to destination and other one return trip.

5] If Xavier had rowed twice, then with one trip he must have taken Yoshi across and in other trip he must have returned as we found the fact in [2] above. So, two return trips 'occupied' by Walter and Xavier, Yoshi wouldn't have got a chance to row which is mandatory.

So, Xavier is not the person who had rowed twice.

6] Suppose Zeke is the person who had rowed twice. He must had rowed Walter across the river to give a chance to row his return trip. After Walter reaching at the start, Xavier must had rowed Yoshi across the river thereby completing his compulsory rowing trip.

Then Zeke must have returned to the start to take Walter across then Yoshi would have been the person who hadn't rowed which is against FACT 5.

Therefore, Zeke must not be the person who rowed twice.

7] So, Yoshi must be the person who rowed twice. 

POSSIBILITY 1 : Zeke took Walter across to give him row trip in return. Then, Xavier rowed Yoshi across and Yoshi returned back to take Walter across.

POSSIBILITY 2 : First Xavier rowed Yoshi across and Yoshi returned back after which Zeke takes Walter across to allow Walter to have return trip, and finally, Yoshi taking Walter across the river.

POSSIBILITY 3 : Yoshi took Walter across the river and Walter returned. Zeke rowed Walter across and Yoshi returned to give Xavier a chance to row him across.

"How Did They Cross The River?"

Five men and five dogs (each man owned a dog) went hiking. They encountered a river that was swift and deep. The only way to cross it was an abandoned boat, left ashore on their side. But it would only hold three living things. 

Unfortunately, the dogs were edgy and could not be near another person (not even momentarily) unless its owner was present. One of the dogs attended a highly advanced, highly specialized obedience school and therefore knew how to operate the boat (as the men did) -- the other dogs lack this skill. 

How did the five men and the five dogs cross the river?

THIS is how they accepted the challenge! 

The Challenge of River Crossing

What was the challenge?

Let's name five men as M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 & five dogs as D1, D2, D3, D4, D5.
Assume D1 be the dog having advanced skills of operating boat.

TRAVEL CHART :

1] The dog D1 rows D2, D3 across the river and returns back. After returning back D1 takes D4 across the river & returns back once again.

START : D1-M1, D5-M5, M2, M3, M4  DESTINATION : D2, D3, D4

2] Now, M2, M3 and M4 cross river.

START : D1-M1, D1-M5  DESTINATION : D2-M2, D3-M3, D4-M4

3] Someone from DESTINATION needs to return back to allow others at START to cross the river. So, D4-M4 returns and D1-M1 cross the river. 

START : D4-M4, D5-M5  DESTINATION : D1-M1, D2-M2, D3-M3

4] After D1-M1 reaches to the DESTINATION, D3-M3 returns back.

START : D3-M3, D4-M4, D5-M5  DESTINATION : D1-M1, D2-M2

5] Now, M3, M4 and M5 cross the river.

START : D3, D4, D5  DESTINATION : D1-M1, D2-M2, M3, M4, M5.

6] Finally, the dog D1 at the DESTINATION returns back and makes 2 trips to take D3, D4 and D5 across the river.

START : None  DESTINATION : D1-M1, D2-M2, D3-M3, D4-M4, D5-M5.

This way, five men and five dog cross the river successfully.

250 Lbs Across The River?

Two boys weighing 50 pounds each and their older brother weighing 100 pounds wish to cross a river. Their boat will only hold 100 pounds.

How can they all cross the river in the boat?

Find here how they can! 

Source 

Taking 250 Lbs Across The River.

What was the challenge? 

1. First 2 boys of 50 pounds should cross the river.

2. One of them should bring back the boat at other end.

3. A boy with 100 pounds should carry himself across the river with boat.

4. Other boy of 50 pounds waiting across the river now should bring back the boat again.

5. Now both boys of 50 pounds now should cross the river.