Week # 9 Winter 2000
Make sure you are in good shape before you
attempt to solve the WSU Math Department's

 
 

 
    CAN BOB OUTRUN ALICE?
 
Alice and Bob ran a marathon (assumed to be exactly 26.2 miles long) with Alice running at a perfectly uniform eight-minute-per-mile pace, and Bob running in fits and starts, but taking exactly 8 minutes and 1 second to complete each mile interval (this refers to all intervals of the form (x, x+1), including, for example, the interval from 3.78 miles to 4.78 miles). Is it possible that Bob finished ahead of Alice? Justify your answer.

Solution