King Kulima has his ordered bananas now!

The helpful puzzle solver was Dale Copeland from Okato (New Zealand). Kani Lulu is very grateful for Misses Copeland's help so a first price is awarded to her. If you find an better strategy for Kani Lulu's problem you still can send it to me.

Misses Copeland's answer in the original verbatim

Two times, take 100 and travel 20 km, leaving 60 bananas there. Then take 100,
travel 20, pick up 20, travel 33.33333, and leave 33.33333.  Return to your pile of
bananas, pick up the 100 there, travel 33.3333, pick up 33.3333 and head for the
palace.  You have 46.66666 km to travel, so will arrive with 53.33333 bananas, and
the camel can not get home. I hope the king Kulima is happy enough.

Her only comment about this problem: »Kani Lulu should buy a truck!«. For the last problem king Kulima's prince had a lot of pity with Kani Lulu so she gave a lot of food to his camel and both Kani Lulu and his camel could stay in the castle for the next night. We all hope that Kani Lulu's business is going better so once later he can sell his camel to a butcher to processing in some meat and buy a truck for the banana transport.

Misses Copeland's answer in table form for following step by step

actionnumber of bananas at the waysideway position
[kilometres]
Number of charged
bananas
plantage20 km away53 1/3 km awaycastle
(start situation)300000 00
pick up 100 bananas200000 0100
go forward 20 km200000 2080
release 60 bananas2006000 2020
go back 20 km20060000 0
pick up 100 bananas1006000 0100
go forward 20 km1006000 2080
release 60 bananas10012000 2020
go back 20 km10012000 00
pick up 100 bananas012000 0100
go forward 20 km012000 2080
pick up 20 bananas010000 20100
go forward 33 1/3 km010000 53 1/366 2/3
release 33 1/3 bananas010033 1/3 053 1/333 1/3
go back 33 1/3 km010033 1/30 200
pick up 100 bananas0033 1/30 20100
go forward 33 1/3 km0033 1/30 53 1/366 2/3
pick up 33 1/3 bananas0000 53 1/3100
go forward rest of way0000 10053 1/3
give the remaining
bananas to the king
000result:
53 1/3
1000

Go back to the problem situation


© 1996, 1998 by Dale Copeland (answer) and Andreas Meile (additional information)