Twelve Men on an Island Logic Puzzle

Fri, 20 May 2016 16:47:53 +0000

One of my favorite shows right now is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. During season 2 episode 18, titled “Captain Peralta”, Captain Holt presents this riddle to the team:

There are twelve men on an island. Eleven weigh exactly the same amount, but one of them is slightly lighter or heavier. You must figure out which. The island has no scales, but there is a seesaw. You can only use it three times.

This isn’t exactly a programming post, but it does demonstrate the same kind of problem solving that is often found in devising efficient algorithms.

Logic on Josiah Wood

Twelve Men on an Island Logic Puzzle