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Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

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    #16
    Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

    gandhi,

    No problem. That's why they're called "puzzles" !

    Have fun sorting it out.

    -- tom

    Comment


      #17
      Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

      okay tom
      here is the corrected one

      Code:
      dim x as n
      dim cell[100] as c
      for x=1 to 100
      	cell[x]="locked"
      	next x
      dim guard as n
      dim doorNumber as n
      
      	for doorNumber = 1 to 100 'guard will visit all the doors
      		for guard = 1 to 100
      		
      			if mod(doorNumber,guard)=0 then ' but enter only few
      				if cell[doorNumber]="locked" then 
      				    cell[doorNumber]="open"
      				    else
      				    cell[doorNumber]="locked"
      				end if
      			end if
      		next 
      	next 
      		
      dim count as n
      trace.clear()
      for i = 1 to 100
      	if cell[i]="open"
      		trace.writeln("Cell number "+ i +" was left open")
      		count = count+1
      	end if
      next
      trace.writeln("Total of "+count+" prisoners will escape")
      'msgbox("Open cells",str(count))
      end
      thanks for reading

      gandhi

      version 11 3381 - 4096
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      Comment


        #18
        Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

        gandhi,

        Nice!

        -- tom

        Comment


          #19
          Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

          And, here's Tom's solution.

          I used a For ... Next code block with a variable STEP parameter to do the heavy lifting.

          Comments? Questions? Corrections?

          Comment


            #20
            Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

            Code:
            if cells[x] = 0 then
            	cells[x] = 1
            else
            	cells[x] = 0	
            end if
            I believe all three solutions used something similar to this if..else.. end if.

            This could have shortened saving a assignment of the value 0 (locked) to the cell array element. In other words, if the cell is already locked why relock it?

            Code:
            if cells[x] = 0 then
            	cells[x] = 1
            end if
            Andrew

            Comment


              #21
              Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

              Andrew, I don't understand your point. I must be missing something. The puzzle specifies that each guard must either open or close (lock or unlock) each cell door he or she visits.

              Comment


                #22
                Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

                Professor:

                My simple, uncommented code:

                Code:
                dim cellblock[100] as l
                for g = 1 to 100
                	for c = 1 to 100 step g
                		cellblock[c] = iif(cellblock[c], .f., .t.)
                	next c
                next g
                for c = 1 to 100
                	iif(cellblock[c],trace.writeln(c+": Open"),"")
                next c
                and with my comments:

                Code:
                'All cellblocks are locked by default (.f.):
                dim cellblock[100] as l
                'work through each of the 100 guards:
                for g = 1 to 100
                	'visiting each of the 100 cellblocks:
                	for c = 1 to 100 step g
                		'unlocking, if locked, and vice versa:
                		cellblock[c] = iif(cellblock[c], .f., .t.)
                	'visiting the next cellblock:
                	next c
                'moving on to the next guard:
                next g
                'checking all 100 cellblocks:
                for c = 1 to 100
                	'tracing out only the unlocked cells:
                	iif(cellblock[c],trace.writeln(c+": Open"),"")
                next c
                In the end, I had nine cellblocks open:

                2: Open
                5: Open
                10: Open
                17: Open
                26: Open
                37: Open
                50: Open
                65: Open
                82: Open

                Ah, but what if the guards each started, not at cellblock 1, but cellblock N:

                Code:
                'All cellblocks are locked by default (.f.):
                dim cellblock[100] as l
                'work through each of the 100 guards:
                for g = 1 to 100
                	'visiting each of the 100 cellblocks:   ***** Note that each guard starts at cellblock N *****
                	for c = g to 100 step g
                		'unlocking, if locked, and vice versa:
                		cellblock[c] = iif(cellblock[c], .f., .t.)
                	'visiting the next cellblock:
                	next c
                'moving on to the next guard:
                next g
                'checking all 100 cellblocks:
                for c = 1 to 100
                	'tracing out only the unlocked cells:
                	iif(cellblock[c],trace.writeln(c+": Open"),"")
                next c
                Now we end up with ten cellblocks open:

                1: Open
                4: Open
                9: Open
                16: Open
                25: Open
                36: Open
                49: Open
                64: Open
                81: Open
                100: Open
                Stephen Pilon
                Associate Librarian
                Christendom College

                Comment


                  #23
                  Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

                  Professor,

                  By the way, I didn't look at your result until after I took the test.
                  Stephen Pilon
                  Associate Librarian
                  Christendom College

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Re: Programming Puzzle 25 - The Great Escape

                    Stephen,

                    Very nice! The "professor" likes your second solution. Good work. Hope you enjoyed the exercise!

                    Comment

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