New Puzzle

[beachbum]

For any of u that are interested Plastelina has a new game (the elevator game) ... some will solve it using that dreaded M word and others will play around and then throw things at the screen....

The new game is at
http://www.plastelina.net/games/game5.html

And other games at
http://www.plastelina.net/games/

[Tygur]

What's the M word?

Anyhow, it was a fun puzzle. I did it in 8 moves. I'm not sure it can be done in any less.

[beachbum]

Mathetamatics of course .. well i wish i could try it again but so far it has caused my computer to crash big time every time i try... full reboot, scandisk etc... maybe i gotta trade up..

[Jamagei]

8 moves too.

[DavidHooper]

I've got conclusive proof that 8 moves is the minimum.

The actual proof is not all that interesting so I won't post it unless anyone desperately wants it. Basically, it's easiest to look at the problem with modulo arithmetic, so moves of +8 and -13 give -5 repeatedly etc.

Then, giving each elevator a 'need' for the number of floors up/down it needs to go to open, the problem is reduced to finding the best arrangement for all elevators.

The very best arrangement which looks like less than 8 moves cannot be done since it involves an odd number of moves. (The game designers say you have to move 2 elevators at once and 2n is always even.)

I'll have a look at the advanced game 5 later.

[DavidHooper]

8 moves also for the advanced game.

[thinktank2]

Yes Both the games have an 8 step solution.

Apparently it turns out that, the First game
can be solved in 8 steps in 3 variations.

By variations, I mean the different variations of upward and downward journeys for each elevator.

In the advanced Game, you have to stop all the elvators between 21st and 23rd floors to open all of them. The funny thing here is ..elevator numbers 3 and 5 are already in place. So..you just have to move the 3 other elevators. There are 2 variations of 8 step solutions here.

I actually made a program in VB that gets you the solution. At present it gives the solution in a crude form. I am going to modify it to output a step by step guide for solving the puzzle. I hope to change the parameters like number of elevators, floor restrictions, how many elevators are to be selected a time etc.. and new puzzles can be created and solved using my prog.

[thinktank2]

There are also 13,16,26.... step solutions.

[Tygur]

Just posting to confirm that the advanced game has 8 steps.
Well..actually, I'm just posting to say I solved it

[DavidHooper]

chuckle.

thinktank2, is your program intelligent or does it brute the solution?

[thinktank2]

Intelligently brute !!

It uses a basic equation to generate a set of values.
Then uses brute force to elimanate those sets that aren't valid.
It just takes about 1 to 2 seconds though.

For the ordering part ... I haven't finished yet.
I will show it once i complete it.

First Impression is the best....so u have to wait

[wossname]

One thing I hate about Flash games (there are actually many profound things I hate about them) is that they are so bloody slow to run. And that one is especially crap because you can't even set it to low quaity so it runs faster.

Its a good puzzle though, badly presented. I'd never get tired of knifing that guy who keeps sighing all the time.

[DavidHooper]

I spose you could just turn the sound off?

[Gandalf_Grey_]

we did this at school and we were also able to get it in 8 moves

[thinktank2]

Originally posted by DavidHooper
thinktank2, is your program intelligent or does it brute the solution?

Sorry... I haven't completed the arranging in sequence part.
And at present only five elevators can be analysed. I would make it to solve for any number of elevators if someone can help me in this thread

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=133915

Don't know If I can complete it tomorrow b'cos I will be busy with my work on mondays. I just made an asp page to display the breakup of up and down journeys for each elevator. It can solve from wherever your elevators are.

http://www25.brinkster.com/thinktank2k1/elevator.asp

[DavidHooper]

Hey, that page is really cool!!