X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f996b,b912ea8e4126e777 X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1994-03-02 11:01:25 PST Path: gmd.de!newsserver.jvnc.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!library.ucla.edu!news.mic.ucla.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!gh2e+ From: Gerry S Hayes Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art Subject: Re: DIS: The Maze Craze Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 14:01:25 -0500 Organization: Freshman, MCS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 61 Message-ID: <4hRC_5a00awGR1B0oc@andrew.cmu.edu> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: po6.andrew.cmu.edu In-Reply-To: Normand Veilleux (nveilleu@emr1.emr.ca) writes: >One thing that has always amazed me about mazes is that a lot of >people believe that they are always easier if you start from FINISH >and move towards START. I have never seen any facts or arguments >proving or disproving this belief. So, is this fact or fiction? Basically this belief comes down to the psychology of the maze creator and that of the maze solver. Your logic in showing that a maze can be equally difficult from both ends or harder from either one or the other is infallible (if somewhat loosely reasoned), but the common belief is still often true because those who craft mazes tend to put in branches meant to confuse those who start at the beginning. Witness your attempt to show a maze offering 3 long choices: >So, let's create a maze that offers, at the very beginning of the >START path, a choice between 3 paths. Let's make those three paths >as long as possible and connect only one of them with the FINISH. >Here is such an example (the START is at the bottom): aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 aaaaaaaaa 8 a 8 aaaaa 8 aaaaa aaaaa 8 8 a 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 a 8 8aaa8 8aaaa 8 8aaa8 aaaa8aaaaaaaa 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa8aaaa 8aaaaaaaaaaaa 8aaaaaaa8aaa8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8aaa8 a 8 aaaaaaaaaaaaa 8aaaaaaaaaaaa 8 a 8 aaaaaaaa8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 aaaaa 8 8aaaaaaaa 8 8aaaaaaaaaaaa 8 8aaa8 8aaaaaaaa 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8aaaaaaa8aaa8aaaaaaaa 8 8 a aaaaa 8 8aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 a aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa8 8 8aaaa 8 8aaaaaaaaaaaa 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa8 8 aaaa8aaaaaaaa 8 8 8 aaaa8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8aaa8 8aaaa 8 a 8 aaaa8aaaa 8 aaaaaaaa8 8 8aaa8 aaaa8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 a aaaaaaaa8 8 8aaaaaaaa 8 8aaaa 8 a 8aaaa 8aaaa 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa8aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa8aaaaaaa8aaaaaaa8aaaaaaa8aaaaaaaaaaa8 Most maze creators tend to think along these lines: "How can I put in more tricks? Branch off at the start!" The very best mazes, though, do exactly what you did later on; they make many long branches from both ends so that there is no easy starting place. Of course, they often fail to put extra branches in the middle, so it can be useful in a tough maze to pick a point in the middle and try to connect it to both ends . . . Anyway, good discussion! (Not exactly sure that ascii-art is the place for it, though. Rec.puzzles??) -- _____ |\ /| G. Sumner Hayes | A man, a plan, a | O | gh2e+@andrew.cmu.edu| canoe, pasta, hero's |/_\| rajahs, a coloratura, maps, snipe, percale, macaroni, a gag, a banana bag, a tan, a tag, a banana bag again (or a camel), a crepe, pins, spam, a rut, a Rolo, cash, a jar, sore hats, a peon, a canal, - Panama!