The Rope Bridge (solve the problem)

[cabinetman]

Four people need to cross a rickety rope bridge to get back to their camp at night. Unfortunately, their only flashlight has just 17 minutes of juice left. The bridge is too dangerous to cross without a flashlight, and it's only strong enough to support two people at any given time.

Each of the campers walks at a different speed. One can cross the bridge in 1 minute, another in 2 minutes, the third in 5 minutes, and the slowpoke takes 10 minutes to cross. How do the campers make it across in 17 minutes?.
.
.

[jaybee]

For those who must have an answer right now:

http://www.algogeeks.com/bridge_cros...910e8bc5c70daa

is one solution. I can think of one other solution - which still has the 2 minute man crossing twice...

[Wood_workur]

what you do is have the two fastest people cross (2), then the slower of the two goes back (4) then the two slowest people cross (14), then the fastest goes back(15), then the two fastest go back (17)

edit- got beat in the 15 minutes I took to figure this out...

[moc]

The two fastest people cross the bridge together.

While enjoying the complimentary continental breakfast buffet at Holiday Inn the next morning they turn on CNN to see how the search for the others is coming along.



*moc

[scorrpio]

Yeah, seen that one before. I wish *I* had a way to know how many minutes exactly my flashlight got left. And I wish it was a flashlight which, on its last 17 minutes of juice, was still bright enough to assist in crossing dangerous bridges...

[BigguyZ]

Hint:
You don't have to have one of the people who just crossed always be the one who returns to the other side.

[25]

There are 2 solutions btw.