Thursday, February 18, 2010

Cannibals and Missionaries (River Crossing Puzzles)


Three missionaries and three cannibals want to cross a river.

There is a small boat, which can fit only two.

To prevent a tragedy, there can never be more cannibals than missionaries together on either side of the river.

One more important thing is the boat can never be empty in order for it to move.

2 comments:

  1. Does anybody try for the solution of that puzzle?

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  2. The Solution is:

    (C stands for Cannibals and M stands for Missionaries, three Missionaries are M1, M2 & M3 and three Cannibals are C1, C2 & C3)

    Following are the steps:

    1> C1+C2 go and C2 return
    2> C2+C3 go and C3 return
    now situation is C3M1M2M3 with boat at starting end and C1C2 at destination end

    3> M1+M2 will go and C2+M2 return
    now C2C3M2M3 with boat at starting end and C1M1 at destination

    4> now M2+M3 will go and and C1 will return

    5> C1+C2 go and C2 return

    6> C2+C3 go ...end

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