Missionaries and Cannibals Problem

Name: Vipin Singh

Roll No: 187

Problem Statement:

In the Missionaries and Cannibals problem, three missionaries and three cannibals must cross a

river using a boat which can carry at most two people, under the constraint that, for both banks, if

there are missionaries present on the bank, they cannot be outnumbered by cannibals (if they were,

the cannibals would eat the missionaries). The boat cannot cross the river by itself with no people on

board.

Solution Approach:

The problem can be solved by careful planning of the trips across the river ensuring that at no point

do the cannibals outnumber the missionaries on either side. A sequence of moves that leads to a

solution is as follows:

1. Two cannibals cross the river.

2. One cannibal returns.

3. Two cannibals cross the river.

4. One cannibal returns.

5. Two missionaries cross the river.

6. One missionary and one cannibal return.

7. Two missionaries cross the river.

8. One cannibal returns.

9. Two cannibals cross the river.

10. One cannibal returns.

11. Two cannibals cross the river.

At this point, all three cannibals and missionaries have successfully crossed the river without

breaking the rule of outnumbering.