River Crossing Puzzle | The Three Missionaries And Three Cannibals Puzzle
Welcome to a challenging brain teaser that will test your problem-solving skills! Imagine you're on a remote island with three missionaries and three cannibals. You all need to cross a treacherous river to safety, but there's a catch - you have a small boat that can only carry two people at a time. Plus, the cannibals must never outnumber the missionaries on either side of the river, or things could get... unpleasant. Can you figure out how to get everyone across the river without any mishaps?
On one side of the river, you have Three Missionaries (let's call them M1, M2, and M3) and Three Cannibals (C1, C2, and C3).
You also have a small boat that can carry a maximum of two people.
The Rules:
The boat must always be piloted by at least one person, either a missionary or a cannibal.
If, at any time, there are more cannibals than missionaries on either side of the river, the cannibals will overpower the missionaries, and, well, you can guess what happens next.
Your Challenge:
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to devise a series of boat trips that safely gets all three missionaries and three cannibals from one side of the river to the other. Remember, the cannibals should never outnumber the missionaries on either side.
Solution:
Let's break it down into steps, just like you'd solve a tricky puzzle:
Step 1: M1 and C1 cross the river. C1 stays on the other side, and M1 goes back with the boat.
Step 2: C2 and C3 cross the river. C2 stays, and C3 goes back with the boat.
Step 3: M1 and M2 cross the river. M1 stays and M2 and C2 goes back with the boat.
Step 4: M2 and M3 cross the river, and C1 goes back with the boat.
Step 5: C1 and C2 cross the river, C1 stays and C2 goes back with the boat.
Step 6: C2 and C3 cross the river.
Congratulations! You've successfully saved the missionaries from the cannibals.
By following these steps, you've ensured that at no point were there more cannibals than missionaries on either side of the river. Well done!