The Meeting Point
Understand the puzzle
The exact puzzle
Three friends are on a grid map. Ava is at (0,0), Ben is at (4,0), and Cara is at (2,3). The first number counts steps across; the second counts steps up. You can only walk along the grid lines, so distance means steps across plus steps up or down. The friends want to meet at one of four spots: P (2,0), Q (2,1), R (0,3), or S (4,3). Which meeting spot makes the TOTAL distance walked by all three friends as small as possible?
Why this matters
Model a messy real situation as a simple grid before optimizing
Take your time reading. There's no rush at all. Use the picture on the side to help it make sense, then tell me what it's really asking.