18 replies to this topic

[Silencer]

Towers of Hanoi

I just found this tonight because I got bored. This was really tough for me and took me almost an hour. I just wanted to see who else can complete it. This is probably old, but for those of you who have not tried it, try it. It will be fun.

Edited by Silencer, 13 June 2008 - 09:14 PM.

[jake44]

Wow, that pissed me off after a little while, so I stopped. Maybe I should try the little kids version!

[Silencer]

Yea, I started off witht the easy version and worked my way up, it really helps.

[nerfsharpie6]

I tried the hardest version first. I gave up after 20 minutes than did the intermediate version. I just got that done. It requires great concentration, something that most people don't have when they're dead fucking tired.

[Lynx]

It's a kids game.

If you beat all of KOTOR, you have played this.

It is so damn easy for me though.

I haven't done it forever though so I think 7:20 is okay... 7 rings

Edited by Lynx, 14 June 2008 - 12:56 AM.

[Dayko]

This was pretty cool. I did all four in under forty five minutes.

[zaphodB]

It takes me about five minutes to do this. Fun little puzzle.

[bogboogalars]

I did all four in maybe 15 minutes.

[Spartan 117]

I finished the hard one in about 12 minutes. I then tried the kids one. It took me 45 seconds

[PC III]

I finished the hard one in about 12 minutes. I then tried the kids one. It took me 45 seconds

Is there some algorithm or something to it?

[Lynx]

No not really P. C. III. More of a pattern.

I have done this so many times, you just learn where they need to go.

One way to do this is think where the bottom piece in a stack should go. Then count off the ones on top of that to move the next lowest, then the next lowest, then the next lowest.

It is hard to explain in text, but easy to show in person...

[Galaxy613]

I was able to finish the kid version, I'm not gonna bother with the higher ones.

[PC III]

Ohhh I get it. It took me 5 minutes on my second try. THe hey is to uncover the next to smallest ring from the stack, put it on top of the left tower, then stack the other rings out of the way it one stack exposing the next smallest and so on, and so on. (dang, long sentence.) hint: Putting it together is backwards from taking it apart.

[Quilan Fett]

Yeah, this brings back memories of KOTOR. Actually, solving for 7 rings is pretty much the same as solving with 5 rings as in KOTOR, just takes longer.

[Lynx]

Well, I didn't really understand algorithms when I was 7! (no, not the 7*6*5*4*3*2*1, 7!)

[Quilan Fett]

Shit. I have been working for an hour on a 12 ring version. http://www.mazeworks.com/hanoi/

[Kazimir]

I finished the hard one in about 12 minutes. I then tried the kids one. It took me 45 seconds

I finished the hard one in about 12 minutes. I then tried the kids one. It took me 45 seconds

Is there some algorithm or something to it?

In fact, yes, both of these are true. The Towers of Hanoi is a puzzle which is solved using what is called a "recursive algorithm" which results in what is called an "inductive pattern".

The idea here (and you'll encounter this if ever you go into higher maths and have to deal with proofs) is that you're first solving the arbitrary case of moving just one more disk from any one stack onto any other stack, and then you're solving the base case of how to move a stack of one onto an empty space - and here's where the magic happens - you combine these two. It seems very simple at first blush, and really, it is, but it's extremely powerful behavior. With just those two piece of knowledge, you can in fact solve any size towers-of-hanoi type puzzle, and more than that, you can prove that you can solve them without actually having to shuffle disks around.