https://www.quora.

com/profile/Abhimanyu-Sood-2/answers/Interviewing

I: There is a circular race-track of diameter 1 km. Two cars A and B are

standing on the track diametrically opposite to each other. They are both
facing in the clockwise direction. At t=0, both cars start moving at a
constant acceleration of 0.1 m/s/s (initial velocity zero). Since both of them
are moving at same speed and acceleration and clockwise direction, they
will always remain diametrically opposite to each other throughout their
motion.
At the center of the race-track there is a bug. At t=0, the bug starts to fly
towards car A. When it reaches car A, it turn around and starts moving
towards car B. When it reaches B, it again turns back and starts moving
towards car A. It keeps repeating the entire cycle. The speed of the bug is 1
m/s throughout.
After 1 hour, all 3 bodies stop moving. What is the total distance traveled by
the bug?
How would you, the reader, approach this problem?
First of all here is a graphic to help you visualize initial condition.

Now, lets try to visualize the path of the bug. The question states that it will always be
moving towards one of the cars. But the cars themselves are moving. So, bugs path
would not be a straight line. It would be a complicated spiral like path. Plus, the cars are
not moving at constant velocity. They are accelerating, this will further complicate the
spiral path.
So, the approach is clear. We need to find mathematical equation corresponding to bugs
path for one cycle. Then we can simply calculate the distance from this equation and a
little integral calculus. Then multiply the answer with the number of cycles.
But how to calculate the equation of the complicated spiral path?

At this point my friend simply gave up.

The interviewer encouraged him to at least tell his approach. My friend explained above
approach.
At this interviewer replied - Are you ready to hear my solution?
My friend was more than eager.
The interviewer said - Bug is traveling at a constant speed of 1 m/s
throughout its motion. At this constant speed, he travels for 1 hour. So
distance = speed x time = 1 m/s x 3600s = 3.6 km.

My thoughts I think this question (and its solution) provides a profound description of life itself. Most
of the times, we face situations that seem hopelessly complicated. There seems to be no
way out.
But once you hack away the outer layers - parts that are unimportant, parts that are
irrelevant to the final solution, parts that are only present there to complicate the
situation, you reach the core. And the core is beautiful, with an elegance that is signified
by its sheer simplicity.

Some people are asking for further explanation.

What happened here is that the question provided a lot of details about the complicated
interconnected motion of the three bodies. But all of that information is irrelevant to
calculate the final answer. The only important statement in the question that you have to
identify is, The speed of the bug is 1m/s throughout. This is the core. Once you
identify that its speed was constant throughout, the actual path the bug took becomes
irrelevant. No matter how complicated that path was, the total distance would be still
given by the simple equation distance = speed x time
That was the real challenge. To be able to see through the outer layers and get to the
core. That ability is what the interviewer was looking for.

PS:

I regularly write interview related answers. You can view the viral ones here
-https://www.quora.com/profile/Ab...