Crossing the River

Wacky · 2003-08-17, 01:14

Under the M*A*S*H thread,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

There's a traveler with a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage, and he needs to cross a river. The traveler can only carry one of his items at a time, and he can't leave the goat alone with the cabbage, or the wolf alone with the goat. How does he ferry all his wares across the river?

This is a classical puzzle. Just how old is it?

Kevin just made it up

It was in the last issue of "Scientific American"

Yes, but it was in the "25 years ago" column

Henry Ernest Dudeney published it in the London "Times" circa 1900

It was really about George Washington crossing the Delaware River in the 1770's

If they could have solved it, there might not have been a Battle of Hastings (1066)

Nero couldn't figure it out. Rome burned.

It was translated from Egyptian hieroglyphs in King Tut's Tome

Fusion_power · 2003-08-17, 12:39

I have seen many variations of the basic puzzle. My solution would be:
Carry the goat across first, row back empty, carry the cabbage across, bring back the goat, carry the wolf across, row back empty, bring across the goat.

The way to solve any of these is to find the common item and transport it first. The GOAT eats the cabbage, the wolf eats the GOAT. So the goat is the "scapegoat" in this case.

Fusion

Wacky · 2003-08-17, 13:13

The other solution simply reverses the role of wolf and cabbage.

But, I'm not interested in the solution. As far as I'm concerned, it is well known.

I'm interested in the AGE of the puzzle.

Anyone care to make a guess?

Kevin · 2003-08-17, 15:13

From the book I got it from......

"This particular version dates back to the eighth century and the writings of Alcuin of York, a poeat, educator, cleric, and friend of Charlemagne."
Taken from Mathematical Treks by Ivars Peterson.

However, I'm not sure how long that type of problem goes back. It mentions general recreational mathematics going back through the ages to ancient Babylonia and China and how the form of problems help identify a society (man and cannibal problems shows racism, wives and jealous husbands shows sexism), but no mention specifically of the river problem. If you want to look further, David Singmaster is the one who "has compiled an extensive bibliography of material devoted to recreational mathematics".

Fusion_power · 2003-08-17, 21:33

David Singmaster, Now there is a name. Is he the one who published "Notes on Rubik's Cube" about 20 years ago?

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2003-08-17, 12:39	#2
Fusion_power Aug 2003 Snicker, AL 7·137 Posts	I have seen many variations of the basic puzzle. My solution would be: Carry the goat across first, row back empty, carry the cabbage across, bring back the goat, carry the wolf across, row back empty, bring across the goat. The way to solve any of these is to find the common item and transport it first. The GOAT eats the cabbage, the wolf eats the GOAT. So the goat is the "scapegoat" in this case. Fusion

2003-08-17, 13:13	#3
Wacky Jun 2003 The Texas Hill Country 3²×11² Posts	The other solution simply reverses the role of wolf and cabbage. But, I'm not interested in the solution. As far as I'm concerned, it is well known. I'm interested in the AGE of the puzzle. Anyone care to make a guess?

2003-08-17, 15:13	#4
Kevin Aug 2002 Ann Arbor, MI 433 Posts	From the book I got it from...... "This particular version dates back to the eighth century and the writings of Alcuin of York, a poeat, educator, cleric, and friend of Charlemagne." Taken from Mathematical Treks by Ivars Peterson. However, I'm not sure how long that type of problem goes back. It mentions general recreational mathematics going back through the ages to ancient Babylonia and China and how the form of problems help identify a society (man and cannibal problems shows racism, wives and jealous husbands shows sexism), but no mention specifically of the river problem. If you want to look further, David Singmaster is the one who "has compiled an extensive bibliography of material devoted to recreational mathematics".

2003-08-17, 21:33	#5
Fusion_power Aug 2003 Snicker, AL 7×137 Posts	David Singmaster, Now there is a name. Is he the one who published "Notes on Rubik's Cube" about 20 years ago?