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Colonel Mustard or Cap'n Kangaroo?

 
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Who gets across first ?
What's the shortest time Claudette can set and get everyone safely across the bridge before it blows up?


"It was a dark, moonless night in France, 1943, deep within German-held territory. Out of the inky shadows comes Claudette, the beautiful French resistance fighter, followed by three downed Allied crew members, who she must get back into friendly hands. They must cross a bridge, and they know the Germans are not far behind. It's an old, treacherous bridge, and they have only one flashlight among them to see. The bridge can support only two of them at a time. Three on the bridge, and it's curtains.
"Pairs crossing can do so only as quickly as the slower member of the pair, because they need the flashlight to see. Each time a pair crosses, someone has to return with the flashlight, until they're all safely across.
"Unfortunately, the three downed airmen are injured. Here are the times each person takes to cross the bridge: Claudette can do it in a minute. Major Johnson has a twisted ankle, and takes 2 minutes. Captain Kangaroo got shot up pretty bad. He has to hop on one foot, and it takes him 5 minutes. Colonel Mustard is in worse shape. It takes him 10 minutes to cross the bridge.
"Claudette has rigged the bridge with explosives so that their pursuers can't follow. She's about to set the timer."
What's the shortest time she can set and get everyone safely across the bridge before it blows up?
regards
[ September 21, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]
 
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19 Mins.
 
Anupam Sinha
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Or 20 mins just in case if they slow down.
 
HS Thomas
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what I got is 20 mins, as it is the obvious answer . But :


" The Germans are sitting there saying, "Sonja Henie's tutu!
We can get a couple of them before the bridge blows up!
There's a tendency to want Claudette to make lots of trips but she shouldn't."


How would you, Anupam , explain 19 mins, anyway ?
OK I got it. I made the beautiful Claudette return 1 more time when she needn't ave .
19 mins is my new revised answer!
But it can be even less than that!
regards
[ September 21, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]
 
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You can make it slightly less if the two slow guys go together so they don't eat up the clock.
- 2 mins: Claudette and Major Johnson
- 1 min: Claudette comes back with flashlight
- 10 mins: Captain Kangaroo and Colonel Mustard
- 2 mins: Major Johnson comes back with flashlight
- 2 mins: Claudette and Major Johnson
Total: 17 mins
Cool puzzle!
 
HS Thomas
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The secret is that you want the fastest people making the greatest number of crossings. So, Claudette and Johnson, who can do it in one and two minutes, respectively, cross together. That takes two minutes.
One of them comes back, let's say it's Johnson, that takes another 2 minutes. Okay, now she's on the good side of the bridge and he isn't.
TOM: So now we got the two slow guys on the wrong side of the bridge, along with Major Johnson.
RAY: Johnson stays there and the two slow guys hop over the bridge. That takes 10 minutes. Okay, so now we're up to 14 minutes.
Claudette dashes across the bridge with the flashlight-- that takes a minute, right? She and Johnson cross together.
TOM: That takes two minutes.
RAY: That's 17 minutes. They got across in 17 minutes, when bingo, the bridge blows up! The Germans are sitting there saying, "Sonja Henie's tutu!"
I don't think they can cross in less time than that.
The puzzle came from the same site as the Audio puzzle if youcare to work that one out.
regards
[ September 21, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]
 
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I got 16 min 10 secs as the puzzle did not say how fast Claudette was able to run, I will assume that she is very fast and can make her solo crossing in 10 seconds.
 
HS Thomas
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Claudette can do it in a minute


"George, unfortunately , it did say 1 minute in words."
16 mins 10 secs would have been wonderful, otherwise.
regards
[ September 22, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]
 
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