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    Merin Jacob
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    A monk starts climbing a hill in the morning, and spends the next twelve hours hiking to the top. On the second day, he descends along the same path he used to climb the hill. Can you draw a picture that shows where the monk is at any time on both days?

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    A monk starts climbing a hill in the morning, and spends the next twelve hours hiking to the top. On the second day, he descends along the same path he used to climb the hill. Can you draw a picture that shows where the monk is at any time on both days?

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    11 views2 pages

    Brainteaser

    Uploaded by

    Merin Jacob
    A monk starts climbing a hill in the morning, and spends the next twelve hours hiking to the top. On the second day, he descends along the same path he used to climb the hill. Can you draw a picture that shows where the monk is at any time on both days?

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    Brainteaser:AMonkonaHill

    (ExcerptedfromProf.EdwardH.KaplansLectureNotesforIndividualProblem Framing,Fall2006) At9:00inthemorning,amonkstartstoclimbahill,andspendsthenexttwelve hourshikingtothetop.Hereachesthetopat9:00intheevening,andspends thenightthereinmeditation.Thenextmorning,at9:00hestartstodescend alongthesamepathheusedtoclimbthehillthedaybefore.Takinghistime,he reachesthebottomat9:00intheeveningofthesecondday.Yourtask:show thatthereissomespotonthehillsuchthatthemonkisatthatspotatthesame timeoneachday. Hmmmweneedtomakesureweunderstandthesituation.Themonkstarts climbingthehillat9:00AMandreachesthetopat9:00PM.Thatmeansthatat anyparticulartimeinbetween,themonkissomewhereonthehill.Similarly,on theseconddaythemonkstartswalkingdownat9:00AMandreachesthe bottomat9:00PMandatanyparticulartimeinbetween,themonkis somewhereonthehill. Sodoweunderstandwhatisgoingon?Canyoudrawapictureofthesituation? Forexample,canyoudrawapicturethatshowswherethemonkisatanytime onthefirstday?Onthesecondday?Canyoudrawonepicturethatshowsthe monkgoingupthehillonthefirstdayanddescendingonthesecondday? How aboutthepicturebelow?

    Geeallthepictureabovedoesisrepeattheproblemitsaysthatthemonk startsatthebottomandendsatthetopwhenhegoesup,andstartsatthetop andendsatthebottomwhenhegoesdown.Ofcourse,thepicturealsoshows youwherethemonkisatanytimeonbothdays,andhowaboutthattheup andthedowncurvescrosswhichmeansthatthereisaspotonthehillthe monkvisitsatthesametimeoneachday!

    Whatiscute(andspecial)aboutthisproblemisthatonceyouunderstandthe situationclearly,theanswersimplyleapsoutatyou.Noextrawork! Nowdrawingapicturewasnottheonlywaytounderstandthissituation.You mighthavesimplysaidHmmmthemonkgoesupondayone,anddownon daytwo,andbothtimestakesthesamepath.WhatifIchangetheproblemto oneoftwomonks,withthesecondmonkstartingatthetoponthefirstdayand walkingexactlyasthefirstmonkwouldontheseconddayintherealproblem? Geeatsomepointthetwomonksaregoingtopasseachother!HiMonk!Hi Monk! Problemsolved. Oryoumighthavethoughtofananalogy.Hmmmthisisjustlikeacablecar goingupandcomingdown,exceptondifferentdays.Butweallknowthatcable carspasseachotheralongtheway,sotheresapointwherebothcablecarsare atthesametime!Oradifferentanalogyhmmmm,thisissortoflikelighting acandleatbothendsitwouldtakethesametimeforanentirecandletoburn ifIlititatoneendonly,orattheotherendonly,butifIlightitatbothends,at somepointtheflameswillmeethey,startingthecandleatoneendorthe otherislikestartingthemonkatthebottomorthetop,andwheretheflames meetisthedesiredspotonthehill. Takehomemessage:whenconfrontinganewproblem,makesurethatyou understanditclearly.Sometimesthatisenoughtoanswerthequestion. Secondarylessondrawingapictureormakingananalogyortransformingthe problemintosomethingequivalentthatyouunderstandbetterisagood techniqueforexploringanewproblem.

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