3000 Apples Math Puzzle
July 18th, 2012 at 12:28:03 PM
permalink
- There are 3000 apples in city A.
- City B is 1000 miles away.
- Your car can hold up to 1000 apples.
- You love apples, and can't help but eat one for each mile traveled, if you have any in your car.
- Your goal is to get as many apples as possible to city B. How do you do it?
Personally, I found a way to get 833 1/3 apples there. Can you do better? You may claim how many you get get to B openly, but please put explanations of how to do it in spoiler tags.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
July 18th, 2012 at 12:54:54 PM
permalink
I assume you mean "eat"...Quote: Wizard
- You love apples, and can't help but each one for each mile traveled, if you have any in your car.
I tried it a few times.
Every time I end up with zero apples.
I *think* I'm doing something wrong....
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
July 18th, 2012 at 12:56:25 PM
permalink
Get some else to drive the car. 3,000 apples delivered!
Otherwise, I get 833 1/3 as well. Can't see how I can do better.
"Then you can admire the real gambler, who has neither eaten, slept, thought nor lived, he has so smarted under the scourge of his martingale, so suffered on the rack of his desire for a coup at trente-et-quarante" - Honore de Balzac, 1829
July 18th, 2012 at 1:01:27 PM
permalink
I figured out my error, but the best I get is 500 apples...Quote: DJTeddyBearI *think* I'm doing something wrong....
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
July 18th, 2012 at 1:02:21 PM
permalink
You sure are driving a lot of apples short distances!
Climate Casino: https://climatecasino.net/climate-casino/
July 18th, 2012 at 1:14:17 PM
permalink
Yes, I meant you eat one apple a minute.
Eliot, does your hint imply how to get to 833 1/3, or can you do better?
Eliot, does your hint imply how to get to 833 1/3, or can you do better?
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
July 18th, 2012 at 1:17:04 PM
permalink
Sigh. When typing this spoiler, I realized I had another error in my spreadsheet.
I rounded, so I only delivered 832 apples to Point B.
I'm not going to deal with fractional apples. I figure that if you get to a pit stop, you're gonna leave all the whole apples, and eat the partial on your way back.
Obviously, there will be 3 trips leaving Point A. You're going to want to go far enough that there are only 2 trips leaving from the pit stop where you store the apples.
334 miles to the first pit stop, gets 1998 apples there, with 666 miles to go.
Two trips of 500 miles each gets 998 miles to the second pit stop, with 166 miles to go.
The final leg you start with 998 apples, eat 166, and deliver 832 to Point B.
I rounded, so I only delivered 832 apples to Point B.
I'm not going to deal with fractional apples. I figure that if you get to a pit stop, you're gonna leave all the whole apples, and eat the partial on your way back.
Obviously, there will be 3 trips leaving Point A. You're going to want to go far enough that there are only 2 trips leaving from the pit stop where you store the apples.
334 miles to the first pit stop, gets 1998 apples there, with 666 miles to go.
Two trips of 500 miles each gets 998 miles to the second pit stop, with 166 miles to go.
The final leg you start with 998 apples, eat 166, and deliver 832 to Point B.
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
July 18th, 2012 at 1:18:09 PM
permalink
I'm struggling to see how you can end up just 166 2/3 miles away on your final run. I was 300 miles further away than that so got an answer of 300 less apples than you.
I'll give it another 15 minutes and then give up :-)
I'll give it another 15 minutes and then give up :-)
July 18th, 2012 at 1:18:19 PM
permalink
Read it.Quote: WizardEliot, does your hint imply how to get to 833 1/3, or can you do better?
Elliot's "hint" is about as useful (Not!) as thecesspit's "stupid answer".
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
July 18th, 2012 at 1:18:28 PM
permalink
this problem was a little harder than the hourglass puzzle...
take 1000 apples,
travel one third the distance (333.3~miles) and store them.
do this three times,
total stored at location 1: 2,000.
take 1000 apples 500 miles to location 2. (833.3 miles)
total stored at location 2: 500.
repeat. total stored at location 2: 1000
take 1000 to town B. total on arrival : 833.3 apples.
not sure if there may be a more optimal division of transport...
thinking about it.
travel one third the distance (333.3~miles) and store them.
do this three times,
total stored at location 1: 2,000.
take 1000 apples 500 miles to location 2. (833.3 miles)
total stored at location 2: 500.
repeat. total stored at location 2: 1000
take 1000 to town B. total on arrival : 833.3 apples.
not sure if there may be a more optimal division of transport...
thinking about it.
In a bet, there is a fool and a thief.
- Proverb.
July 18th, 2012 at 1:19:35 PM
permalink
I can hear the gnashing teeth of all the FedEx and UPS stock holders....
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
July 18th, 2012 at 1:20:26 PM
permalink
WongBo wins another feather for the first correct answer.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
July 18th, 2012 at 1:21:14 PM
permalink
Same answer. Same method as Wong Bo, but I must mention that I first did it 1 mile at a time using Excel, thinking intuitively that it was an integration problem.Quote: WizardEliot, does your hint imply how to get to 833 1/3, or can you do better?
Climate Casino: https://climatecasino.net/climate-casino/
July 18th, 2012 at 1:39:42 PM
permalink
It's a sort of discrete integration. Kind of.
I used the same method as WongBo. I shoulda posted how to get the feather.
I used the same method as WongBo. I shoulda posted how to get the feather.
"Then you can admire the real gambler, who has neither eaten, slept, thought nor lived, he has so smarted under the scourge of his martingale, so suffered on the rack of his desire for a coup at trente-et-quarante" - Honore de Balzac, 1829
July 18th, 2012 at 1:53:01 PM
permalink
I don't know how to do spoiler sorry
Drive one apple 9/10 of mile set on side of road. go back get another bring it to the same 9/10 mile mark. set it on side of road then pick up first apple and drive it 9/10 of mile further down road and set it on side of road. Then go back pick up another drive it to the first 9/10 mile mark and switch it with the apple there then drive 9/10 further and switch apple again keep doing this and you will get all 3000. no apple ever is in your car for a full mile so you don't eat em.
Drive one apple 9/10 of mile set on side of road. go back get another bring it to the same 9/10 mile mark. set it on side of road then pick up first apple and drive it 9/10 of mile further down road and set it on side of road. Then go back pick up another drive it to the first 9/10 mile mark and switch it with the apple there then drive 9/10 further and switch apple again keep doing this and you will get all 3000. no apple ever is in your car for a full mile so you don't eat em.
July 18th, 2012 at 1:58:28 PM
permalink
Quote: WizardYes, I meant you eat one apple a minute.
Eliot, does your hint imply how to get to 833 1/3, or can you do better?
one apple a minute? my answer stinks now.
July 18th, 2012 at 2:08:46 PM
permalink
he meant one apple per mile,
but i think the eating commences when the driving starts,
not just on the last tenth of a mile!
to make spoiler tags:
type: [
then type: spoiler]
then include the text you want to hide and type: [/
then type: spoiler]
if you hit the quote button on a post with spoiler tags, you can see what it looks like
but i think the eating commences when the driving starts,
not just on the last tenth of a mile!
to make spoiler tags:
type: [
then type: spoiler]
then include the text you want to hide and type: [/
then type: spoiler]
if you hit the quote button on a post with spoiler tags, you can see what it looks like
In a bet, there is a fool and a thief.
- Proverb.
July 18th, 2012 at 2:08:54 PM
permalink
Quote: rainmanI don't know how to do spoiler sorry.
Please read the formatting codes page. Otherwise, please don't ruin the puzzle for everybody else by positing an answer for all to see.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
July 18th, 2012 at 2:23:42 PM
permalink
I read WongBo's answer but fail to see how you can have 2,000 apples at place A if you travel 333.3 miles to get to A and do this 3 times.
If you travel 333.3 miles away then you can only leave 333.3 apples there as you need 333.3 apples to get back from A to your starting point. So, A would only have 1,000 apples stored by the time you have made 3 trips.
Have I missed something?
If you travel 333.3 miles away then you can only leave 333.3 apples there as you need 333.3 apples to get back from A to your starting point. So, A would only have 1,000 apples stored by the time you have made 3 trips.
Have I missed something?
July 18th, 2012 at 2:23:46 PM
permalink
Quote: WongBohe meant one apple per mile,
but i think the eating commences when the driving starts,
not just on the last tenth of a mile!
to make spoiler tags:
type: [
then type: spoiler]
then include the text you want to hide and type: [/
then type: spoiler]
if you hit the quote button on a post with spoiler tags, you can see what it looks like
thanks for the info. the wording [if you have any in your car] is the basis for my answer. I took it as 1 per mile.
July 18th, 2012 at 2:48:56 PM
permalink
At normal highway speeds, the poor guy will eat one apple every minute. I don't think that's even possible. If it is, then moving apples si the least of his problems :)
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
July 18th, 2012 at 2:53:17 PM
permalink
you drop the apples off and return with an empty car...Quote: SwitchI read WongBo's answer but fail to see how you can have 2,000 apples at place A if you travel 333.3 miles to get to A and do this 3 times.
If you travel 333.3 miles away then you can only leave 333.3 apples there as you need 333.3 apples to get back from A to your starting point. So, A would only have 1,000 apples stored by the time you have made 3 trips.
Have I missed something?
the riddle does not stipulate that you must eat an apple for every mile driven,
only for every mile driven with apples in the car.
In a bet, there is a fool and a thief.
- Proverb.
July 18th, 2012 at 3:12:51 PM
permalink
Quote: WongBoyou drop the apples off and return with an empty car...
the riddle does not stipulate that you must eat an apple for every mile driven,
only for every mile driven with apples in the car.
Thanks - teach me to not read the question thoroughly :-)
July 20th, 2012 at 5:17:53 PM
permalink
Yes I get 833 the same way as already quoted - there's a similar problem except the camel eats both ways (http://mathproblems.info/working.php#99). My stupid answer ...
... was to put them on the roof rack!
July 20th, 2012 at 9:10:53 PM
permalink
All of them, 3000 total made the trips. Edited for my serious answer.
If one drives less than 1 mile, no apples are eaten. Thus driving say 0.9 miles for each load of 1000 apples will result in all being transported. After 1111triple transports, the 1112th is but 0.1 miles. Again on each of the 3 transports, no apple will be consumed.
Some people need to reimagine their thinking.
July 21st, 2012 at 7:27:28 PM
permalink
I changed my silly answer, to a real one. And all 3000 will be transported given the OP stating that every 1 mile one apple will be eaten.
Some people need to reimagine their thinking.
July 21st, 2012 at 8:20:43 PM
permalink
To clarify, it isn't that you eat an apple at the end of every mile, but you continuously consume apples as long as you're driving and there are apples in the car.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
