Wolf-Goat-Cabbage 1:   I n t r o d u c t i o n

PaGO
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You want to transfer wolf ("W"), goat ("G"), and cabbage ("C") from the left bank of the river to the right bank. You, the only human there, are the rower, and don't leave the boat. The wolf wants to eat the goat, the goat wants to eat the cabbage, but nothing will happen as long as you are near. Beside you there is only place for one item in the boat. How can you achieve your task? Click on "W", "G", or "C" to put them in or out of the boat. Click the boat to get it moving.

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In this puzzle you can hardly do anything wrong as long as you obey the rule

The only possible first move is to ship the goat, "G", to the right. Shipping it back would violate our rule, therefore we go back with an empty boat. We may not go empty to the right (we would violate the rule). therefore we take "W" or "C", which one really doesn't matter, the situation is symmetric, so let's say "W" moves. Now we have to take something back, but not "W" (remember our rule), so we ship "G" to the left. Next we ship "C" to the right. Here is the only state where you could do something wrong by shipping "W" to the left---instead we row with an empty boat to the left, pick up "G", and ship to the right.
Erich Prisner 2002-2010