A French foreign legion general must make a trip across the deserts of Tunis to a remote outpost. He must travel on foot from the nearest town, and the distance is such that it will take a person six days to cover it.
The problem is that a person on foot can only carry enough water and provisions to last him four days. The general can take with him any number of assistants to help him carry the supplies, but they must be fed as well, and cannot be left stranded in the desert.
How will the general make it across, and how many assistants will he need to help him? (Find the smallest number.)
well, since we are looking for the least amount of assistants, i will start with one assisstant. the only way that he would be any good is if he turned back after the first day, and the general could only carry one more days worth of supplies. so if we go with two, then you could have one turn back after the first day, leaving the general and the other assistant with four days worth each. then, after the second day, the second assistant turns back leaving the general with four days worth of food, which is enough, so the answer is 2
solution i think
