engineering

Monkey and banana problem

Monkey and banana problem is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Monkey and banana problem rather than just read about it. In short: The monkey and banana problem is a famous toy problem in artificial intelligence, particularly in logic programming and planning. It has been framed as: A monkey is in a room containing a box and a bunch of bananas.

Key takeaways

Monkey and banana problem belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Monkey and banana problem to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Monkey and banana problem from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The monkey and banana problem is a famous toy problem in artificial intelligence, particularly in logic programming and planning. It has been framed as:

A monkey is in a room containing a box and a bunch of bananas. The bananas are hanging from the ceiling out of reach of the monkey. How can the monkey obtain the bananas?

The situation is used as a toy problem for computer science and can be solved with an expert system such as CLIPS. The example set of rules that CLIPS provides is somewhat fragile, in that, naive changes to the rulebase that might seem to a human of average intelligence to make common sense can cause the engine to fail to get the monkey to reach the banana. Other examples exist using Rules Based System (RBS), including a project implemented in Python.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Monkey and banana problem

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Monkey and banana problem claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Monkey and banana problem before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Monkey and banana problem ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Monkey and banana problem

In research: Monkey and banana problem appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Monkey and banana problem in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Monkey and banana problem is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Artificial intelligence engineering, Logic puzzles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Monkey and banana problem outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Monkey and banana problem” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Monkey and banana problem in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Monkey and banana problem means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Monkey and banana problem out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Monkey and banana problem in simple terms?

The monkey and banana problem is a famous toy problem in artificial intelligence, particularly in logic programming and planning. It has been framed as: A monkey is in a room containing a box and a bunch of bananas.

Why does Monkey and banana problem matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Monkey and banana problem?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Monkey and banana problem.