A Difficult Mathematical Word Problem with Caribou’s Dan Snaith

Caribou’s Dan Snaith has a doctorate in Mathematics. So I followed up with him after our interview, and presented him with the following word problem, for him to use his opaque math skills on. I told him if he answered correctly, he would receive a complimentary hot Rolfing session. Here’s the word problem:

A man has to get a fox, a chicken, and a sack of corn across a river. He has a rowboat, and it can only carry him and one other thing. If the fox and the