NODE 6364174bA Number Theory Problem....
Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>Fri, 2 Oct 1998 19:13:39 +0800
There is a desert which is 1000 miles across. There is a camel who can carry
1000 bananas maximum. The camel eats 1 banana per mile travelled. The camel
has a total of 3000 bananas to begin with. What is the maximum number of
bananas that the camel can get across to the other side uneaten?
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A: 533
NODE 6ee733c7Re: A Number Theory Problem....
Tim May <tcmay@got.net>Fri, 2 Oct 1998 19:41:44 +0800
At 5:16 PM -0700 10/2/98, Jim Choate wrote:
>There is a desert which is 1000 miles across. There is a camel who can carry
>1000 bananas maximum. The camel eats 1 banana per mile travelled. The camel
>has a total of 3000 bananas to begin with. What is the maximum number of
>bananas that the camel can get across to the other side uneaten?
>
>
>A: 533
Some say 533 and a third.
What was your point in posing this with the answer at the bottom. This
problem shows up in the math newsgroups and is not an interesting CP topic.
--Tim May
Y2K: A good chance to reformat America's hard drive and empty the trash.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES: 831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments.
NODE fb57e4b0Re: A Number Theory Problem....
Eric Cordian <emc@wire.insync.net>Fri, 2 Oct 1998 20:50:28 +0800
Tim writes:
> Some say 533 and a third.
This is correct if the camel eats bananas continuously, as opposed to
discretely.
Starting with 3,000 bananas, the camel can deposit 2,000 bananas 200 miles
from his starting point. He can then deposit 1,000 bananas another 333
1/3 miles from that point. There now remain 466 2/3 miles to go, and
bananas to eat, leaving the camel with 533 1/3 bananas upon reaching the
other side.
If the camel eats bananas in discrete quanta, we lose the fractional
banana.
--
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>
> What was your point in posing this with the answer at the bottom. This
> problem shows up in the math newsgroups and is not an interesting CP topic.
>
> --Tim May
>
>
>
> Y2K: A good chance to reformat America's hard drive and empty the trash.
> ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
> Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
> ComSec 3DES: 831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
> W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
> Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments.
>
>
>