Fun math problem

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O

OdiN

Banned
Mar 1, 2000
16,431
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0
Originally posted by: KLin
Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Its obviously zero... Unless this is one of those stupid tricks

Since the elephant would eat every single ball by the time he got to the town, he wouldnt even have strength to go back for more balls, so him having 3000 balls is pointless... To get even 1 ball to the town he would need to carry 1001 at least /problem
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But he can go part of the way, drop some bananas, go back, and pick up some more!!! I cheated though. :p
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He never said he was going to be able to drop them off before his delivery point.

Who's to say that they are still there when he goes back to add to them/pick them up?

What if other shokoball starved elephants come by and take them all?
 
KLin

KLin

Lifer
Feb 29, 2000
29,492
114
106
Originally posted by: OdiN
Originally posted by: KLin
Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Its obviously zero... Unless this is one of those stupid tricks

Since the elephant would eat every single ball by the time he got to the town, he wouldnt even have strength to go back for more balls, so him having 3000 balls is pointless... To get even 1 ball to the town he would need to carry 1001 at least /problem
Click to expand...
But he can go part of the way, drop some bananas, go back, and pick up some more!!! I cheated though. :p
Click to expand...
1. He never said he was going to be able to drop them off before his delivery point.

2. Who's to say that they are still there when he goes back to add to them/pick them up?

3. What if other shokoball starved elephants come by and take them all?
Click to expand...

1. Which means it's not prohibited.
2. Who cares?
3. Who cares?

;)
 
A

ahurtt

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2001
4,283
0
0
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
An elephant has to walk 1000km to the next town. He has to transport 3000 schokoballz. Each km he walks, he has to eat 1 schokoball. The maximum value of schokoballz he can take at once is 1000. What's the greatest number of schokoballz the elephant can bring to the next town?

Clarification:
He has 3000 shokoballz to start with.
He must eat one every km.
The answer is not zero.
Click to expand...
The plural of "schokoball" is spelled with an "s" at the end, not a "z." It's "schokoballs."

s-c-h-o-k-o-b-a-l-l-S
 
C

chuckywang

Lifer
Jan 12, 2004
20,139
1
0
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
An elephant has to walk 1000km to the next town. He has to transport 3000 schokoballz. Each km he walks, he has to eat 1 schokoball. The maximum value of schokoballz he can take at once is 1000. What's the greatest number of schokoballz the elephant can bring to the next town?

Clarification:
He has 3000 shokoballz to start with.
He must eat one every km.
The answer is not zero.
Click to expand...
The answer is 1000. I just want to put that out there before anybody else does. I'll explain later.
 
sactoking

sactoking

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2007
7,366
2,460
136
I can prove at least 833.

Trip 1: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at 'Point B'. 2000 widgets left at start, 667 widgets at Point B.
Trip 2: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at Point B. 1000 widgets left at start and 1334 widgets at Point B.
Trip 3: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at Point B. 0 widgets left at start and 2001 widgets at Point B.
Trip 4: Load 1000 widgets from Point B. Travel 500 km. Drop 500 widgets at 'Point C'. 1001 widgets left at Point B and 500 widgets at Point C.
Trip 5: Load 1000 widgets from Point B. Travel 500 km. Drop 500 widgets at Point C. 1 widget left at Point B and 1000 widgets at point C.
Trip 6: Load 1000 widgets from Point C. Travel 167 km. Drop 837 widgets at end.

Edited to up my number from 666 and correct the explanation.
 
N

newb111

Diamond Member
Oct 8, 2003
6,992
1
81
Originally posted by: sactoking
I can prove at least 666.

Trip 1: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at 'Point B'. 2000 widgets left at start, 667 widgets at Point B.
Trip 2: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at Point B. 1000 widgets left at start and 1334 widgets at Point B.
Trip 3: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at Point B. 0 widgets left at start and 2001 widgets at Point B.
Trip 4: Load 1000 widgets from Point B. Travel 333 km. Drop 667 widgets at 'Point C'. 1001 widgets left at Point B and 667 widgets at Point C.
Trip 5: Load 1000 widgets from Point B. Travel 333 km. Drop 667 widgets at Point C. 1 widget left at Point B and 1334 widgets at point C.
Trip 6: Load 1000 widgets from Point C. Travel 334 km. Drop 666 widgets at end.
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How does he get back to the start without any widgets to eat?
 
K

KMc

Golden Member
Jan 26, 2007
1,153
0
76
Seems like several ways to figure it, but the most I've been able to get all the way there is 500.

Leave start with 1000, travel 250, leave 500, return to start.
Leave start with 2nd 1000, travel 250, leave 500 (now 1,000 total there), return to start.
Leave start with final 1000, travel 250, now have 1750 total at 250 km mark.

Leave 250 mark with 1000, travel 250, leave 500, retrun to 250 mark.
Leave 250 mark with final 750, travel 250, now have 1000 total at 500 km mark.

Leave 500 mark with 1000, travel final 500 km and deposit 500 in town.
 
O

OdiN

Banned
Mar 1, 2000
16,431
3
0
Actually, when the Elephant comes back to the balls he's left in the middle of nowhere, he finds them gone, he is then eaten by a large grue.
 
C

Chronoshock

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
4,860
1
81
The elephant takes 1000 balls with him
Every KM, he eats one and drops 2 on the ground. He does this for 333 KM. He drops the remaining ball at 333KM
He walks back, now there is 1 ball per KM for the first 333 KM (and one extra at 333KM)

He now takes 1000 balls with him.
For the first 333 KM he drops 1 ball and eats 1 ball so there are once again 2 balls on the ground. He picks up the extra ball at 333KM along the way and eats it to go to 445KM where he drops the last ball
The next 111 KM he drops 2 ball and eats 1 ball.
He walks back, now there is 1 ball per KM for the first 444 KM

He now takes the remaining 1000 balls
He walks the first 445KM eating all the balls on the ground.
For 555KM, he eats 1 ball from his stash.

He arrives at the town with 445 balls


 
TuxDave

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
10,572
3
71
I ended up with 500.

1) Picks up 1000, goes 250km, drops off 500 and goes home empty when he arrives.
2) Picks up 1000, goes 250km, picks up another 250, goes 250km drops off 500, goes back 250, picks up 250, goes back home empty when he arrives.
3) Picks up 1000, goes 500km, picks up 500, goes 500km, delivers 500.
 
TuxDave

TuxDave

Lifer
Oct 8, 2002
10,572
3
71
Originally posted by: sactoking
I can prove at least 833.

Trip 1: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at 'Point B'. 2000 widgets left at start, 667 widgets at Point B.
Trip 2: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at Point B. 1000 widgets left at start and 1334 widgets at Point B.
Trip 3: Load 1000 widgets. Travel 333 km. Drop off 667 widgets at Point B. 0 widgets left at start and 2001 widgets at Point B.
Trip 4: Load 1000 widgets from Point B. Travel 500 km. Drop 500 widgets at 'Point C'. 1001 widgets left at Point B and 500 widgets at Point C.
Trip 5: Load 1000 widgets from Point B. Travel 500 km. Drop 500 widgets at Point C. 1 widget left at Point B and 1000 widgets at point C.
Trip 6: Load 1000 widgets from Point C. Travel 167 km. Drop 837 widgets at end.

Edited to up my number from 666 and correct the explanation.
Click to expand...
He needs to eat on his way back.
 
O

OdiN

Banned
Mar 1, 2000
16,431
3
0
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
No right answers yet, keep trying!
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My answer is correct. Others probably as well.

If you want to post a real problem, go ahead. But there are too many holes in your existing one.
 
TecHNooB

TecHNooB

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
7,460
1
76
Originally posted by: OdiN
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
No right answers yet, keep trying!
Click to expand...
My answer is correct. Others probably as well.

If you want to post a real problem, go ahead. But there are too many holes in your existing one.
Click to expand...
Tell me about it, ill clear it up.
 
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