Math Problem
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?