Cannibals and Villagers - Logic Problem

[JohnN]

Three cannibals and three Villagers have to cross a river. The boat they have is only big enough for two people. If at any point in time there are more cannibals on one side of the river than Villagers, the cannibals will eat them. The boat can’t cross the river by itself, someone has to be in it to row it across.
What plan can the Villagers use for crossing the river so they don’t get eaten?

Note that if a boat with a cannibal and a Villager travels to a shore with one cannibal on it, then number of cannibals is greater than number of Villagers, even if you say the Villager immediately takes the boat back.

Answer coming soon.

Question 2 - Who are the three Villagers!!!! LOL

[Taltarzac725]

I watch too much of the Walking Dead. But then again these are not zombies but cannibals.

I have seen this puzzle before but it used other people.

[JohnN]

I have seen this puzzle before but it used other people.

Answer
So initially there are Three Cannibals and Three Villagers all are on west coast of river. They are supposed to cross over river to reach east coast by boat.

Step 1:
1 Cannibal and 1 Villager cross over river and then Villager comes back to west coast.
So now there are 2 Cannibals and 3 Villagers left to cross river while 1 Cannibal is on other side of river.
Step 2:

2 Cannibals cross over river and then 1 Cannibal comes back to west coast.

So now there are 1 Cannibals and 3 Villagers left to cross river while 2 Cannibals are on other side of river.
Step 3:

2 Villagers cross over river and then 1 Cannibal and 1 Villager come back to west coast.
So now there are 2 Cannibals and 2 Villagers left to cross river while 1 Cannibal and 1 Villager are on other side of river.
Step 4:

2 Villagers cross over river and then 1 Cannibal come back to west coast.
So now there are 3 Cannibals left to cross river while 3 Archaeologists are on other side of river.
Step 5:

2 Cannibals cross over river and then 1 Cannibal comes back to west coast.

So now there are 2 Cannibals left to cross river while 1 Cannibal and 3 Villagers are on other side of river.
Step 6:

Remaining 2 Cannibals cross over river. So now all 3 Cannibals and 3 Villagers have crossed the river.

[tvbound]

An old, but thought provoking problem. The original was the cannibal/missionary scenario and there is a closely related 'jealous husbands' problem. Thanks for posting.

[tophcfa]

The answer to this could be a lot easier given the assumption that at least one and three Villagers is packing a firearm.

[Taltarzac725]

The answer to this could be a lot easier given the assumption that at least one and three Villagers is packing a firearm.

That's why I was thinking of zombies and The Walking Dead.

Propositiones ad Acuendos Juvenes - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propositiones_ad_Acuendos_Juvenes)

This dates to probably around the 780s or even earlier. Alcuin (735 - 804) - Biography - MacTutor History of Mathematics (https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Alcuin/)

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The three cannibals ARE the three Villagers. They have no trouble co-existing with each other. They're in the same tribe.

[SIRE1]

That is all well and good, except one of the cannibals has a clip board and is reporting EVERYTHING that the Villagers are doing wrong. Eventually the Villagers get sick and tired of their constant reporting and throws them all into the river !!!!!! And all is now happy and the boat is fully adorned with ornaments ! :boxing2:

[DaleDivine]

That is all well and good, except one of the cannibals has a clip board and is reporting EVERYTHING that the Villagers are doing wrong. Eventually the Villagers get sick and tired of their constant reporting and throws them all into the river !!!!!! And all is now happy and the boat is fully adorned with ornaments ! :boxing2:

Unless one of them stepped in dog poop and got it in the boat... Phewww...
:ohdear::MOJE_whot::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[lkagele]

Three cannibals and three Villagers have to cross a river. The boat they have is only big enough for two people. If at any point in time there are more cannibals on one side of the river than Villagers, the cannibals will eat them. The boat can’t cross the river by itself, someone has to be in it to row it across.
What plan can the Villagers use for crossing the river so they don’t get eaten?

Note that if a boat with a cannibal and a Villager travels to a shore with one cannibal on it, then number of cannibals is greater than number of Villagers, even if you say the archaeologist immediately takes the boat back.

Answer coming soon.

Question 2 - Who are the three Villagers!!!! LOL

Why not just use the bridge?

[Mrprez]

Where did the archaeologist come from?

[chenault55]

[QUOTE=JohnN;1995570]Answer
So initially there are Three Cannibals and Three Villagers all are on west coast of river. They are supposed to cross over river to reach east coast by boat.

Step 1:
1 Cannibal and 1 Villager cross over river and then Villager comes back to west coast.
So now there are 2 Cannibals and 3 Villagers left to cross river while 1 Cannibal is on other side of river.
Step 2:



2 Cannibals cross over river and then 1 Cannibal comes back to west coast.

So now there are 1 Cannibals and 3 Villagers left to cross river while 2 Cannibals are on other side of river.
Step 3:

2 Villagers cross over river and then 1 Cannibal and 1 Villager come back to west coast.
So now there are 2 Cannibals and 2 Villagers left to cross river while 1 Cannibal and 1 Villager are on other side of river.
Step 4:

2 Villagers cross over river and then 1 Cannibal come back to west coast.
So now there are 3 Cannibals left to cross river while 3 Archaeologists are on other side of river.
Step 5:

2 Cannibals cross over river and then 1 Cannibal comes back to west coast.

So now there are 2 Cannibals left to cross river while 1 Cannibal and 3 Villagers are on other side of river.
Step 6:

Remaining 2 Cannibals cross over river. So now all 3 Cannibals and 3 Villagers

If the cannibals and the villagers are all on one side at first there wouldn’t be any Villagers uneaten to make the journey across the river in the first place.

[DanBrew]

Why don’t cannibals eat clowns?


They taste funny

[JohnN]

Where did the archaeologist come from?

LOL - good catch, I corrected it to Villager. My son is an archaeologist and I'd sent it to him modified that way.

[ThirdOfFive]

Three cannibals and three Villagers have to cross a river. The boat they have is only big enough for two people. If at any point in time there are more cannibals on one side of the river than Villagers, the cannibals will eat them. The boat can’t cross the river by itself, someone has to be in it to row it across.
What plan can the Villagers use for crossing the river so they don’t get eaten?

Note that if a boat with a cannibal and a Villager travels to a shore with one cannibal on it, then number of cannibals is greater than number of Villagers, even if you say the Villager immediately takes the boat back.

Answer coming soon.

Question 2 - Who are the three Villagers!!!! LOL
This is a trick question.

No self-respecting cannibal would EVER eat a Villager. Too tough.

[Taltarzac725]

Where did the archaeologist come from?

One of the versions of this logic puzzle uses archaeologists and cannibals.

I have seen it with wolves and sheep or something like that.

[Byte1]

Anyone that has ever watched the Walking Dead series, can see the resemblance of the folks shambling across the golf course daily to the zombies on the show. Taking that into consideration, how would you discern the difference between Villagers and cannibals?

[Rodneysblue]

Three cannibals and three Villagers have to cross a river. The boat they have is only big enough for two people. If at any point in time there are more cannibals on one side of the river than Villagers, the cannibals will eat them. The boat can’t cross the river by itself, someone has to be in it to row it across.
What plan can the Villagers use for crossing the river so they don’t get eaten?

Note that if a boat with a cannibal and a Villager travels to a shore with one cannibal on it, then number of cannibals is greater than number of Villagers, even if you say the Villager immediately takes the boat back.

Answer coming soon.


Question 2 - Who are the three Villagers!!!! LOL


The Villagers take out their concealed carry weapons and shoot the cannibals and cross the river at their leisure.
:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Mrprez]

One of the versions of this logic puzzle uses archaeologists and cannibals.

I have seen it with wolves and sheep or something like that.

Yes, I have seen it in various forms as well. Just not with a random third group of people introduced willy-nilly.

[jimhurtt@twc.com]

No thanks. I don't think unless I have to.

[Ksfirefighter]

Just wait and the Villages will build a bridge next week!