March 11, 2009
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmPuzzling Adventures: Snow Walkers--How to Clear Streets of Snow More Effectively [Warm Up Solution]
A fictional city grapples with the white stuff
By Dennis E. Shasha
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Solution to Warm-up Puzzle:
As this figure shows, for most blocks, a pedestrian can walk from a corner across the street to a corner of the neighboring building.
http://cs.nyu.edu/cs/faculty/shasha/papers/warmup3x4-5.tiff
The two blocks marked with 2 require walking through two buildings to travel to one another. For example, to go from (1,0) to (2,0), go to the northeast corner of (1,0), cross to (1,1), then go diagonally to the southeast corner of (1,1), and then cross the plowed street to the northeast corner of (2,1). From there go to the southwest corner of (2,1) and then into the block (2,2).
Back to Main Puzzle
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