The desert lies before you. Your mission is to plant a flag a four days\' march

Question

The desert lies before you. Your mission is to plant a flag a four days' march into the interior. You do not have any special equipment and must rely on your powers, although you may enlist the help of one or more companions. Carrying food and the flag itself is not a problem. The only limitation has to do with water: each person can only carry a five-day supply of water. Thus, if you went by yourself, the amount of water you could bring with you would take you only two and a half days toward your destination and back to your starting point. Given these conditions, how can you fulfill your mission using Strictly Less than a twenty-day supply of water

Explanation / Answer

No. of Days available to plant a flag = 4

Carryingfoodand the flag itself isnot a problem.

Problem is water.

Each person have 5 days supply of water.

we haveStrictly Less than a twenty-day supply of water W<20

so lets say 4 people will go with 5 days water each (one have just less than 5 days to make it <20)

after one day

each have 1 days total 4*1 =4 . total 20 - 4 =16

So send one of them back with 1 days water

So now we have 3 people with 16-1 =15 days water (each carrying 5 days water)

After day 2:

each have 1 days water consumed. So total they have 15-3 =12

So send one of them back with 2 days water (he will reach home :) )

So now we have 2 people with 12-2 =10 days water(each carrying 5 days water)

After day 3:

each have 1 day water consumed. So total they have 10-2=8

So send one of them back with 3 days water (he will reach home :) )

So now we have 1 people with 8-3 =5 days water

After day 4:

He will reach and put the flag :)

Have 5-1 = 4 days water

will just reach home safely. :)

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