[extropy-chat] Puzzle - Short Tale

Paul Grant paulgrant999 at hotmail.com
Thu Feb 5 22:55:02 UTC 2004


Wow, nice answer :)
I like the swing point thang you did :)[reaching equilibrium] :)



-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Adrian
Tymes
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 1:52 PM
To: extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Puzzle - Short Tale


--- "natashavita at earthlink.net"
<natashavita at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Can anyone answer this?
> 
> A monk wakes one morning and decides to climb the
> mountain next to his hut.
> He sets out right after dawn, follows the path to
> the top and arrives at
> the top of the mountain in the late afternoon.  He
> spends the night near
> the top of the mountain and descends along the same
> path the next day,
> leaving again right after dawn and arriving in the
> afternoon.  Question:
> Is there a spot on the path where the monk is at the
> exact same time on the
> two days?  Prove your answer. 

Yes, if it is the exact same path.  Pick any point in
time (relative to the day) along the ascent/descent.
Exactly one of these three things will be true:

1. At that time, the descending monk has not yet
reached the point where he had ascended to at that
time yesterday.

2. At that time, the descending monk is at the point
where he had ascended to at that time yesterday.

3. At that time, the descending monk has passed the
point where he had ascended to at that time yesterday.

In case 1, pick a later time.  In case 3, pick an
earlier time.  Either way, you'll eventually reach
case 2 - and since you can get to that point, it must
exist.

Now, the real question is, why do you wish to know?
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