Transport puzzles are logistical puzzles, hence are puzzles which represent real-life transport problems.
As in shuffling puzzles, no piece is ever lost or added to the board. In contrast to shuffling puzzles, however, in transport puzzles all tokens have to follow certain routes given on the board; they cannot be lifted off the board and placed on faraway positions that have no visible connection to the from-position.
Hence transport puzzles often mean that the player has to move (physical) objects in a very restricted space.
This puzzle class has several subclasses:
- sokoban puzzles
- sliding puzzles
- with Samuel Loyds fifteen puzzle as the most well known example
- train shunting puzzles
- river cross puzzles - see below
How many crossings must the farmer make?
Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers!
Clearly the farmer first can take the goat only. After subsequently bringing one of the other two, say the cabbage, the clue is to take the goat temporarily back. He then brings the wolf and finally the goat again. Thus there are seven crossings, four forward and three back.
The famous British puzzler Henry Dudeney added several puzzles to this category.