Puzzle 31 | (Minimum cut Puzzle)

Last Updated : 19 Jan, 2023

Puzzle: You have got someone working for you for five days and a gold bar to pay him. You must give them a piece of gold at the end of every day. What are the fewest number of cuts to the bar of gold that will allow you to pay him 1/5th each day?

Answer: 2 cuts.

Solution:

Explanation 1:

After two cut there are three pieces of [1 unit and two 2 units] or [two 1 units and one 3 unit]. Now perform the following transactions.

[1 unit and two 2 units]

Days	Gold Bars(Vendor)	Gold Bars(Worker)	Comments
Day 0	[1, 2, 2]	[]	Initially Worker have 0 Gold Bars unit.
Day 1	[2, 2]	[1]	Pay the worker Gold Bar with 1 unit.
Day 2	[1, 2]	[2]	Pay the worker Gold with 2 units and take back the gold bar with 1 unit.
Day 3	[2]	[1, 2]	Pay the worker Gold Bar with 1 unit.
Day 4	[1]	[2, 2]	Pay the worker Gold with 2 units and take back the gold bar with 1 unit.
Day 5	[]	[1, 2, 2]	Pay the worker with only left Gold Bar with 1 unit.

[two 1 units and one 3 unit]

Days	Gold Bars(Vendor)	Gold Bars(Worker)	Comments
Day 0	[1, 1, 3]	[]	Initially Worker have 0 Gold Bars unit.
Day 1	[1, 3]	[1]	Pay the worker Gold Bar with 1 unit.
Day 2	[3]	[1,1]	Pay the worker Gold with other 1 units.
Day 3	[1,1]	[3]	Pay the worker Gold Bar with 3 unit and take back all the gold bar with 1 unit.
Day 4	[1]	[1, 3]	Pay the worker Gold with 1 unit.
Day 5	[]	[1, 1, 3]	Pay the worker with only left Gold Bar with 1 unit.

Similar Puzzle: Pay an employee using a 7 units gold rod?

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Vikash Kumar

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