Rest Stop - Futility Closet

Rest Stop

rest stop puzzle

A gold miner lives at point A, 3 miles north of the river and 5 miles upstream from the gold mine at point B, which is 2 miles north of the river. On the way to work he must stop at the river to give his burro a drink. At what point on the river should he stop in order to minimize the length of the trip?

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Imagine that the gold mine is 2 miles south of the river, rather than 2 miles north. Now the shortest distance is a straight line, and a little geometry shows that the optimum stopping point is 3 miles downstream.

August 17, 2011January 28, 2013 | Puzzles