Algorithmic Puzzles

Algorithmic Puzzles
Author: Anany Levitin
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2011-10-14
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0199740445

Algorithmic puzzles are puzzles involving well-defined procedures for solving problems. This book will provide an enjoyable and accessible introduction to algorithmic puzzles that will develop the reader's algorithmic thinking. The first part of this book is a tutorial on algorithm design strategies and analysis techniques. Algorithm design strategies — exhaustive search, backtracking, divide-and-conquer and a few others — are general approaches to designing step-by-step instructions for solving problems. Analysis techniques are methods for investigating such procedures to answer questions about the ultimate result of the procedure or how many steps are executed before the procedure stops. The discussion is an elementary level, with puzzle examples, and requires neither programming nor mathematics beyond a secondary school level. Thus, the tutorial provides a gentle and entertaining introduction to main ideas in high-level algorithmic problem solving. The second and main part of the book contains 150 puzzles, from centuries-old classics to newcomers often asked during job interviews at computing, engineering, and financial companies. The puzzles are divided into three groups by their difficulty levels. The first fifty puzzles in the Easier Puzzles section require only middle school mathematics. The sixty puzzle of average difficulty and forty harder puzzles require just high school mathematics plus a few topics such as binary numbers and simple recurrences, which are reviewed in the tutorial. All the puzzles are provided with hints, detailed solutions, and brief comments. The comments deal with the puzzle origins and design or analysis techniques used in the solution. The book should be of interest to puzzle lovers, students and teachers of algorithm courses, and persons expecting to be given puzzles during job interviews.

The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes

The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes
Author: Raymond M. Smullyan
Publisher: Courier Corporation
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2012
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0486482014

Join Holmes and Watson as they examine interrupted games to deduce prior moves. A series of increasingly complex chess mysteries culminates in a double murder perpetrated by Professor Moriarty. The master sleuth instructs his companion (and us) in the intricacies of retrograde analysis; readers need only a knowledge of how the pieces move.

The Times Ultimate Killer Su Doku Book 12: 200 of the Deadliest Su Doku Puzzles (the Times Su Doku)

The Times Ultimate Killer Su Doku Book 12: 200 of the Deadliest Su Doku Puzzles (the Times Su Doku)
Author: The Times Mind Games
Publisher: Times Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-01-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9780008342937

Specially compiled to provide the most deadly Su Doku challenge, this is the only volume for Su Doku enthusiasts who need a puzzle that really tests their mettle.Prepare yourself for the toughest Su Doku challenge there is. These diabolically difficult Ultimate Killer Su Doku puzzles will really put your brainpower to the test as you 'warm up' with the 100 Deadly Killer puzzles before steeling yourself to take on the 100 Extra Deadly Su Dokus. Are you ready for the challenge?Not for the faint-hearted. The puzzles use the same 9x9 grid as a regular Su Doku, but have an extra mathematical element that multiplies the challenge. The aim is not only to complete every row, column and cube so that it contains the digits 1 to 9, but also to make sure that the outlined sections, called cages, add up to the number given in each cage.Warning: Not suitable for amateur puzzlers!

Games of Go

Games of Go
Author: Neil Moffatt
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2009-05-15
Genre: Games
ISBN: 9780956156211

Games of Go provides commentary on a dozen games of Go, the ancient Oriental board game. Unlike most game reviews, each and every move is commented upon. This is simply because beginning and intermediate Go players simply do not know why most stronger players make their moves. Unlike the majority of Go books, there is only one move per board diagram. The games cover games by players from 20 kyu right up to 8 dan. The book is suitable for beginners and intermediate players up to about 8-10 kyu. The book is A4 in format, with 3 columns per page, and well over 3,000 board diagrams.

Number, Shape, & Symmetry

Number, Shape, & Symmetry
Author: Diane L. Herrmann
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2012-10-18
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1466554649

Through a careful treatment of number theory and geometry, Number, Shape, & Symmetry: An Introduction to Number Theory, Geometry, and Group Theory helps readers understand serious mathematical ideas and proofs. Classroom-tested, the book draws on the authors’ successful work with undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, seventh to tenth grade mathematically talented students in the University of Chicago’s Young Scholars Program, and elementary public school teachers in the Seminars for Endorsement in Science and Mathematics Education (SESAME). The first half of the book focuses on number theory, beginning with the rules of arithmetic (axioms for the integers). The authors then present all the basic ideas and applications of divisibility, primes, and modular arithmetic. They also introduce the abstract notion of a group and include numerous examples. The final topics on number theory consist of rational numbers, real numbers, and ideas about infinity. Moving on to geometry, the text covers polygons and polyhedra, including the construction of regular polygons and regular polyhedra. It studies tessellation by looking at patterns in the plane, especially those made by regular polygons or sets of regular polygons. The text also determines the symmetry groups of these figures and patterns, demonstrating how groups arise in both geometry and number theory. The book is suitable for pre-service or in-service training for elementary school teachers, general education mathematics or math for liberal arts undergraduate-level courses, and enrichment activities for high school students or math clubs.

Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias

Floret Farm's Discovering Dahlias
Author: Erin Benzakein
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2021-03-09
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 1452181853

A stunning guide to growing, harvesting, and arranging gorgeous dahlia blooms from celebrated farmer-florist and New York Times bestselling author Erin Benzakein, founder of Floret Flower Farm. World-renowned flower farmer and floral designer Erin Benzakein reveals all the secrets to growing, cultivating, and arranging gorgeous dahlias. These coveted floral treasures come in a dazzling range of colors, sizes, and forms, with enough variety for virtually every garden space and personal preference, making them one of the most beloved flowers for arrangements. In these pages, readers will discover: • Expert advice for planting, harvesting, and arranging garden-fresh dahlias • A simple-to-follow overview of the dahlia classification system • An A–Z guide with photos and descriptions of more than 350 varieties • Step-by-step how-to's for designing show-stopping dahlia bouquets that elevate any occasion Expert Author: Erin Benzakein's gorgeous flowers are celebrated throughout the world. Her book Floret Farm's A Year in Flowers was a New York Times bestseller and her first book, Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden, won the American Horticultural Society Book Award. Filled with Wisdom: Overflowing with hundreds of lush photographs and invaluable advice, DISCOVERING DAHLIAS is an essential resource for gardeners and a must-have for anyone who loves flowers, including flower lovers, avid and novice gardeners, floral designers, florists, small farmers, stylists, and designers.

Mathematical Fun, Games and Puzzles

Mathematical Fun, Games and Puzzles
Author: Jack Frohlichstein
Publisher: Courier Corporation
Total Pages: 340
Release: 1967
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 9780486207896

Brush up on your math skills with fun games and puzzles.

Pattern-Based Constraint Satisfaction and Logic Puzzles (Second Edition)

Pattern-Based Constraint Satisfaction and Logic Puzzles (Second Edition)
Author: Denis Berthier
Publisher:
Total Pages: 568
Release: 2015-07-11
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 9781326350642

""Pattern-Based Constraint Satisfaction and Logic Puzzles (Second Edition)"" develops a pure logic, pattern-based perspective of solving the finite Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP), with emphasis on finding the ""simplest"" solution. Different ways of reasoning with the constraints are formalised by various families of ""resolution rules,"" each of them carrying its own notion of simplicity. A large part of the book illustrates the power of the approach by applying it to various popular logic puzzles. It provides a unified view of how to model and solve them, even though they involve very different types of constraints: obvious symmetric ones in Sudoku, non-symmetric but transitive ones in Futoshiki, topological and geometric ones in Map colouring, Numbrix and Hidato, non-binary arithmetic ones in Kakuro and both non-binary and non-local ones in Slitherlink. It also shows that the most familiar techniques for these puzzles can be understood as mere application-specific presentations of the general rules.