ok i have heard of this problem before but now i can not figure it our. ok here it is

a man drives into town with two full 20 gallon tanks filled with water. two men come to buy water and each want two gallons of water but the problem is that one man has a 5 Gal. can and the other a 3 Gal. can. how with out measuring in anyway or wasting any water can you get 2 gallons in each of the cans.

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This is a quite different problem.

You can't waste any water (in fact in the original by Sam LLyod, I believe it is actually milk.)

Also, I believe the two Large tanks the peddler has are filled to the brim (these two are his first customers of the day).

I don't remember the sequence, but it takes a lot of juggling, and (if I recall correctly) in the end, each of the two tanks is down by the two gallons that one of the men bought.

Markings:
1st 20 gallon tank 2nd 20 gallon tank
3 gallon can 5 gallon can

1) fill both cans, each from different tank:
17 15
3 5
2) empty the 3 gallon can into the second tank:
17 18
0 5
3) fill the 3 gallon can from the first tank:
14 18
3 5
4) empty the 5 gallon can into the first tank:
19 18
3 0
5) empty the 3 gallon can into the 5 gallon can:
19 18
0 3
6) fill the 3 gallon can from the second tank:
19 15
3 3
7) fill the 5 gallon can to the top from the 3 gallon can (2 gallons):
19 15
1 5
8) empty 1 gallon from the 3 gallon can into the second tank:
19 16
0 5
9) fill the 3 gallon can from the 5 gallon can:
19 16
3 2
10) fill the first tank to the top from the 3 gallon can:
20 16
2 2

I don't know if what I got is the shortest solution to this problem...

Anthony,really can he not waste any of it?
I give up.