A worker is to perform work for you for seven straight days. In return for his work, you will pay him 1/7th of a bar of gold per day. The worker requires a daily payment of 1/7th of the bar of gold. What and where are the fewest number of cuts to the bar of gold that will allow you to pay him 1/7th each day?
Gold Bar Lowest Cut Puzzle solution
To divide the gold bar into seven equal parts, you can follow this method for paying the worker his daily wage for seven straight days:
- Cut the gold bar at the 1/7th mark and give that to the worker on the first day.
- Cut 2/7ths of the gold bar and pay that to the worker on the second day, receiving the original 1/7th in change.
- Give the worker the 1/7th you received as change on the previous day on the third day.
- Give the worker 4/7ths of the gold bar on the fourth day, and receive his 1/7th cut and his 2/7th cut as change.
- Give the worker back the 1/7th cut of gold on the fifth day.
- Give the worker the 2/7th cut of gold on the sixth day and receive the 1/7th cut back in change.
- Pay the worker his final 1/7th on the seventh day.
This method involves a total of 2 cuts to the gold bar and requires keeping track of the change given back to the worker.
Do comment if you have any doubts or suggestions or another solution for this puzzle.