Counter examples to adjudicating a towers of hanoi contest

Abstract

This paper points out the inconsistency in the criteria for adjudicating a Towers of Hanoi contest proposed by Wood. Counter examples to some of Wood's claims are given. In particular, the shortest path for transforming a configuration of n discs to another configuration may not be unique. Finally, a set of better criteria for adjudicating a Towers of Hanoi contest is proposed.

Keywords:

• Towers of Hanoi
• adjudication
• representation
• state-space graph

C.R. Categories and subject descriptions:

• F.2.2. [Analysis of Algorithms and Problem Complexity]: Nonnumerical Algorithms and Problems—wmputatlons on discrete structures.