ASOUE Maths Puzzles

[cwm3]

I'm back, with a nice new game. I'll post a maths problem, and once somebody has solved it, we'll have another problem, and there'll be a new one after somebody has solved that one.

The three Baudelaires and Hector have 17 minutes to catch the midnight train out of the village of VFD. To reach the station they must all cross a narrow bridge BUT... it's dark, they only have one torch and the bridge can only carry a maximum of TWO people at once.

Any person or couple crossing the bridge MUST have the torch with them. The torch must be carried across, it cannot be thrown. Each person walks at a different speed and a pair must walk together at the rate of the slower one's pace.


Violet: 1 minute to cross
Klaus: 2 minutes to cross
Sunny: 5 minutes to cross
Hector: 10 minutes to cross (because they made him carry all the cases.)

For example: If Violet and Hector cross first it will take 10 minutes. If Hector comes back with the torch, that's 20 minutes gone and they missed the train!

So can you help them reach the train on time?

HINT: You'll need a pen, a paper, and possibly a calculator (you might have one as a program on your computer)

[DetectiveDupin]

Violet and Hector cross first-10 minutes.
Violet walks back-gives it to Klaus, then they both walk across-4 minutes


No wait..that won't work..

[cwm3]

Yes, you forgot Sunny.

HINT 1 - The overall solution takes exactly 17 mins.

Do you want another hint?

[DetectiveDupin]

Yea, please..

[cwm3]

The first and last steps are the same.

[DetectiveDupin]

Violet and Hector-10
then Violet walks back-1
then Klaus walks back with Violet-3
then Violet walks back-1
then she walks acorss with Sunny-4


Poo..that makes 19..

[Luigi]

Hm...Hector should put down the suitcases.....


Can't they carry Sunny? Grr.,...






AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHGHHHHHHHH!@#$%$#@!!!!!!!!!

[cwm3]

No, Hector must carry the cases, and the bridge is rotten and can only carry two people at once.

Here is the second step;


Violet comes back (1min)

Therefore, Violet must go across in the first and last move.

[Luigi]

*nods* I was taking that approach.

Fogg. *sigh*

VK, V, HS, K, VK--no.

VS, V, KH--no

VH,V,KS, V--No

VK, K, SH, V, KV

[DetectiveDupin]

Violet and Klaus-3
Violet Comes Back-1
Violet and Sunny-4
Violet-1
Violet and Hector-10

WHICH IS 19 AGAIN!

[Luigi]

vk-2m
k-2 m
sh--10 m
v-1 m
vk--2 m

[DetectiveDupin]

-cept Klaus takes two minutes.
So he and Violet would take three together...

[cwm3]

Alright, who wants me to give the answer?

[DetectiveDupin]

I can't do it!

[jack2004]

J said:

vk-2m
k-2 m
sh--10 m
v-1 m
vk--2 m

that is correct!