The minimum possible distance that Fyodor could be from Alyosha is 4 meters.
Given Information and Deduction
It is given that Fyodor is 3 meters in distance away from Dmitri and 5 meters from Ivan.
Now, since we know that the longest side of a right angle triangle formed by the dividing the rectangular room into two parts using a diagonal is the hypotenuse. Thus, if we want to find the minimum possible distance between Fyodor and Alyosha, we will have to assume that Ivan is standing diagonally opposite to Fyodor, as shown in the figure below.
Calculating the Minimum Distance
According to Pythagoras Theorem,
(hypotenuse)² = (base)² + (perpendicular)²
Here, the hypotenuse is the distance between Fyodor and Ivan.
Perpendicular and the base are the distances between Fyodor and Dmitri, and Fyodor and Alyosha respectively.
⇒ base = √(hypotenuse)² -(perpendicular)²
⇒ base = √(5)²-(3)²
⇒ base = √(25-9)
⇒ base = √16
⇒ base = 4 meters
Therefore, the minimum possible distance between Fyodor and Alyosha is 4 meters.
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