Putnam Exam Prep Question ?

"You are locked in a 50x50x50-foot room which sits on 100-foot stilts. There is an open window at the corner of the room, near the floor, with a strong hook cemented into the floor by the window. So if you had a 100-foot rope, you could tie one end to the hook, and climb down the rope to freedom. (The stilts are not accessible from the window.) There are two 50-foot lengths of rope, each cemented into the ceiling, about 1 foot apart, near the center of the ceiling. You are a strong, agile rope climber, good at tying knots, and you have a sharp knife. You have no other tools (not even clothes). The rope is strong enough to hold your weight, but not if it is cut lengthwise. You can survive a fall of no more than 10 feet. How do you get out alive?"

Chuck S2009-01-02T17:57:54Z

Favorite Answer

Climb one rope, and cut the other rope a couple feet from its cemented end.

Tie the 2' part left in the ceiling in way to leave a loop.

Feed the cut end through the loop and tie to the rope still attached to the ceiling.

While having the rope held tight around your waste, cut the second one free.

You now can lower yourself to floor.

Then pull the rope out of the loop and go over and tie it to the hook so you can climb to safety.