[Bungleau]

Sorry, HiveTyrant, but I like multiple threads better. It helps the old ones die off more easily, just as #1 has...

So here's one. I was originally told this was a test given during the interview process at Microsoft, but I don't know that I believe that. In any case, I've tweaked it slightly to my own preferences.

The members of KISS (Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace - classic lineup) are scheduled to give a concert in 17 minutes. It's dark (as it ought to be at concert time), and the concert stage is across a deep gully. There's a single narrow bridge across the gully, and it's pretty flimsy; it won't hold more than two of them. It's fairly long, too, and did I mention it's dark? They've only got one flashlight, and they need it to cross the bridge. The flashlight's batteries are pretty low, though, and the light doesn't go much more than 10 feet -- certainly not all the way across, let alone halfway.

They have to go on stage in 17 minutes, all four of them, or else the promoter has put in some tremendously severe performance penalties. Not only won't they get paid, they'll have to pay the promoter's costs.

Problem is, it takes Gene 1 minute to cross, Paul 2 minutes, Peter 5, and Ace 10. And they have to have the flashlight to make it across. And there are no other options -- they have to cross this bridge, they have to use this flashlight, and there's no outside help available.

How can all four of them cross the bridge and be at the concert in 17 minutes?

*edit* I should mention that there is more than one answer, but the principle is the same. */edit*

[ 12-23-2004, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: Bungleau ]