Objective

Decide what order the players should go in so that everyone gets to the finish line as fast as possible. Can they cross in an hour or less? 50 minutes? 45 minutes?

write one sentence trying out its purpose. Why is it included in the problem solving process?

The purpose of this sentence is to clarify the objective of the problem, which is to determine the optimal order for the players to cross the finish line in the fastest time possible. This sentence is included in the problem solving process to provide focus and direction for finding a solution.