self Maths Puzzle

The story of four elopements says that four men eloped with their sweethearts, but in carrying out their plan were compelled to cross a stream in a boat which would hold but two persons at a time. It appears that the young men were so extremely jealous that not one of them would permit his prospective bride to remain at any time in the company of any other man or men unless he was also present.

Nor was any man to get into a boat alone, when there happened to be a girl alone on the island or shore, other than the one to whom he was engaged. This feature of the condition looks as if the girls were also jealous and feared that their fellows would run off with the wrong girl if they got a chance. Well, be that as it may, the problem is to guess the quickest way to get the whole party across the river according to the conditions imposed. Let us suppose the island to be in the middle of the stream.

Now, tell how many minimum number of trips would the boat make to get the four couples safely across in accordance with the stipulations?


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self Other Question

Many years ago, when Barnum's Circus was of a truth "the greatest show on earth" the famous showman got me [Sam Loyd] to prepare for him a series of prize puzzles ... Barnum was particularly pleased with the problem of the cat and dog race ...

"A trained cat and dog run a race, 100 feet straightaway and return. The dog leaps three feet at each bound and the cat but two, but then she makes three leaps to his two. Now, under those circumstances, what are the probabilities or possibilities in favor of the one that gets back first?"
An Arab Sheik, finding himself about to die, called his sons about him and said: "Divide my camels among you in the proportion of one-half of the herd to the eldest son, the second son one-third, and to the youngest son one-ninth."
Thereupon the oldest son cried: "O, my father, one-half, one-third, and one-ninth do not constitute a whole. To whom, therefore, shall the remainder of the herd be given?"

"To any poor man who may be standing by when the division is made," replied the Sheik, who thereupon died.

When the herd was collected a new difficulty arose. The number of the camels could not be divided either by two or three or nine. While the brothers were disputing, a poor but crafty Bedouin, standing by with his camel, exclaimed, "Behold, I will sell you my beast for ten pieces of silver, so that you may then divide the herd."

Seeing that the addition of one camel would solve the difficulty, the brothers jumped at the offer, and proceeded to divide the herd, but when each had received his allotted portion there yet remained one camel.

"I am the poor man standing by." Said the crafty Bedouin, and gaily mounting the camel, he rode away, with the ten pieces of silver in his turban.

Now, how many camels were in the Sheik's herd?