copyright © 2015
by Robert L. Blau
This is one of those pesky word problems that drive kids away from math
and into some dreaded liberal art.
Train A leaves Capital A at 1:37 a.m., traveling at 92 miles an hour.
Train B leaves Capital B at 2:15 a.m. on the same day (let's make it
easy), traveling at 120.7 kilometers an hour (but not that easy). Train A and Train
B are on course to collide head-on, destroying both trains and killing
all the passengers on board.
The Engineers of Train A and Train B (Engineers A and B), realizing
that their trains are going to crash, make a Deal to avoid catastrophe.
Engineer A agrees to veer a little east, while Engineer B agrees
to veer a bit west.
The Crew of Train A (Crew A) knows that Train B is a Bad Train and that
Good Trains must never make Deals with Bad Trains because Bad Trains
are Bad. Bad Trains are always more clever than Good Trains and
they always cheat and they can never do anything Good. Because
they're Bad. They demand that Train A scuttle the Deal and
maintain its original course.
The Crew of Train B (Crew B) knows that Train A
is a Bad
Train and that Good Trains must never make Deals with Bad Trains
because Bad Trains are Bad. Bad Trains are always more clever
than
Good Trains and they always cheat and they can never do anything Good.
Because they're Bad. They demand
that Train B scuttle the Deal and maintain its original course.
If all of the Good Crew storm the engine room of the Good Train and
make their Engineer hold to the original course and demolish the Bad
Train and its Bad Passengers, what is their plan for not demolishing the Good Train and its Good Passengers?