#1
5
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- I assume the basic rules for moving the rings are well known.
- If the number of rings is odd you only need 1 step to place the top ring straight on top of the ring you want.
- If it’s even, there is a need for two steps to make the move. Let’s assume pegs A,B and C from left to right. If, for example, on B we have a pile with rings 1,2,3,4 and want to place them over ring 5 on C , the first step will be 1 to A and 2 to C, and next, 1 to C.. .and with a total of 15 moves we will have the 1,2,3,4 rings over 5 on peg C.
- In the initial layout there are larger rings on top of smaller rings (that’s the main difference from version I of this game) but when you start playing you can’t put a larger ring on top of a smaller one as in Tower of Hanoi I.
- I think the best approach to solve the game is starting with a quick look at the positions of rings 9, 8 and 7. It’ s important to see if ring 9 is already on the base of a peg. And if it isn’t, what the best way is (less moves) to put it there. In this case it often happens (especially if 7 and 8 are on different pegs) that one needs to place 7 over 8 to have a free peg for 9. Moreover we may have to place 6 on 9, 7 moving to the free peg after moving 6 and then 6 over 7 . The result will be a pile from 1 to 7 and the need of 127 additional moves to place these 7 rings on top of 8,9 (the minimal number of moves to solve a game in Tower of Hanoi I situation is : minimal moves = 2^n - 1 where n is the number of rings so, 3 rings will need 7 moves, 4 rings will need 15… 7 rings will need 127 and so on).
- Whatever the case, the purpose is, with the minimal number of moves possible, to change the initial layout to a Tower of Hanoi I situation. This means you will always know in advance if the game can be solved without having to actually finish it. When the rings are in a Tower of Hanoi I situation (a pile in ascending order starting with rings 1,2… on one peg, a free peg, and a peg with the remaining rings, also in ascending order, finishing on the base of the peg where 9 is), just add the moves already made to the necessary moves given by the above equation and the result should be equal to the minimal moves needed (whenever I do that control just add the last digit).
- Three examples (all from this website).
- Initial layout (145 minimal moves needed)
Peg A - 1,8,2,9
Peg B - 7,3
Peg C - 6,5,4
Step 1 - The best strategy is to place 9 on the base of peg C and 6 on top of 7 on peg B.
First move is: ring 3 on top of 9 on A, then 4 on top of 7 on B…
After 18 moves from the initial layout we get:
Peg A - 1
Peg B - 7,6,5,4,3,2 18 moves
Peg C – 9,8
Step 2 – If we look at this layout carefully, we’ll note this is equivalent to 6 rings on top of 7 on B, provided the next move is to place ring 1 on top of 8 on C. We are speaking of 6 rings (6,5 …1 that is, even, on peg B and 2 steps are required). So to place these six rings on A we need a first move to place 1 on the other peg, in this case C.
As we already know, to move 6 rings to another peg (peg A) we need 63 moves. After these moves there is an addtional one to place 7, now free, on top of 9,8.
So, in this Step 2 the moves will be 63 + 1= 64 and the layout we get is:
A - 6,5,4,3,2,1
B - 63+1 = 64 moves
C - 9,8,7
So far, we have 18 moves on Step 1 plus 64 on Step 2
Step 3 – The above layout corresponds to what I call a Tower of Hanoi I situation.
To finish the game we need to move the 6 rings (6,5,…1) on peg A to the top of 9,8,7 on peg C. This will require another 63 moves.
Total moves= 18 + 64 + 63 = 145 which is the minimal moves needed. - Initial layout (256 minimal moves needed)
A - 5,3,9
B - 8,1,6,4
C - 2,7
To place 9 on the base, as 8 and 7 are on different pegs, we need to place 7 on top of 8 on B.
Step 1 - Our goal is to place 9 on C and 7 on top of 8 on B. To achieve this we first need to move 6,4 to the top of 9 on A to free C to receive the 9.
The first five moves are 4 on top of 7,6 on top of 9 on A ,4 to 6,1 to 4 and 7 to 8 on peg B.
After 20 moves the layout will be
A – 5,3
B – 8,7,6,4,2,1 20 moves
C – 9
Step 2 place 6 over 9 on peg C. To achieve this we need 4 on top of 5 on A finishing this Step 2 with 5,4,3,2,1 on peg A . This is done with 13 moves and the layout is
A – 5,4,3,2,1
B – 8, 7 13 moves
C - 9,6
Step 3 – Move 5,4…,1 (5 rings) to the top of 6 on peg C. This corresponds to 31 moves plus 1 to place 7 on peg A. So, the number of moves in Step 3 31+1=32 and the layout will be
A – 7
B – 8 32 moves
C – 9,6,5,4,3,2,1
Step 4 - Moving 6,5,…1 to the top of 7 on peg A will require (6 rings) 63 moves plus another one one to put 8 on top of 9 on C. Total moves on Step 4 63+1=64 and the layout
A – 7,6,5,4,3,2,1
B - 63+1 = 64 moves
C - 9,8
Step 5
We have a Tower of Hanoi I situation. The final step is moving the 7 rings from peg A
to the top of 9,8 on peg C. This means 127 moves.
Total moves- 20 + 13 + 32 + 64 + 127 = 256 minimal moves needed. - Initial layout (303 minimal moves needed)
A – 4,9,7,5,8
B – 6,2
C – 3,1
This example is a bit harder than the previous two.
Note that 9 is stuck on A with three rings on top (7,5,8). Also, B and C are not free pegs. It’s clear the need to place the 8,7 on a free peg otherwise we will not have a free peg for 9.
The best way to do this is to place 8,7 on peg C and move 6 to the top of 8,7 on C.
After this is done Peg B will be free to receive 9. Note however, before freeing 7 we need to place 5 on top of 6 on B.
Step 1 - Place 8, on C and 6,5,3,2,1 on B
The first seven moves are:
2 on A
1 on A
3 on top B (on top of 6)
1 on C
2 on B
1 on B
8 on C
23 moves after the start we get the layout
A – 4,9
B – 6,5,3,2,1 23 moves
C – 8,7
Step 2 – Place the 6,5,3,2,1 (5 rings) on C on top of 8,7 (peg B will be free to place the 9).
Moving 5 rings to another peg requires 31 moves plus another one to place 9 on B so, in this step we need 31+1 =32 moves .
The layout is
A – 4
B – 9 31+1= 32 moves
C – 8,7,6,5,3,2,1
Step 3 – The purpose now is to free peg A to receive 7 (otherwise we can’t place 8 on top of 9). To acheive this it’s needed to move 6,5,3,2,1 to B on top of 9.
But as the moves are alternate to place 6 on B we previously need to place the 5 on A and 4 on B…
After 57 moves from the start on Step 2 we will have the following layout.
A – 7
B – 9,6,5,4,3,2,1 57 moves
C – 8
It’s obvious these 57 moves must follow a logic. In fact they can be decomposed on the following actions
Action Number of moves 4 on B 1 3,2,1 (3 rings) on top 4 on B 7 5 to A 1 4,3,2,1 (4 rings) to A 15 6 to B 1 5,4,3,2,1 (5 rings) to B on top of 6 31 7 to A 1 Total 57
Step 4 - move 6,5…..2,1 (6 rings) to A on top of 7. This needs 63 moves. Now it’s possible to place 8 on top of 9 on B which means an additional move.
So in this Step 4 there is a total of 63+1 = 64 moves
After this is done the layout is
A – 7,6,5,4,3,2,1
B – 9,8, 63+1=64 (Tower of Hanoi I situation)
C –
Step 5 – The final step is to move 7,6,…2,1 to peg B to the top of 9,8 .
To move 7 rings, 127 moves will be needed.
So, the total moves are 23+32+57+64+127= 303 moves minimal moves needed
- Initial layout (145 minimal moves needed)
by Slb
2020-02-13 16:10:02
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