Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Pow5 Thebignightswitch

    Uploaded by

    api-255919724
    12 views5 pages
    In a game of chess, the knight piece may only move according to strict rule of moving two squares in one direction, then one square in a perpendicular direction. The goal is to switch the places of the pieces, so that the 2 white pieces would be at the top and the 2 black pieces on the bottom. Can they do it and what is the least number of moves it will take for the pieces to switch?

    Original Description:

    Original Title

    pow5-thebignightswitch

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    In a game of chess, the knight piece may only move according to strict rule of moving two squares in one direction, then one square in a perpendicular direction. The goal is to switch the places of the pieces, so that the 2 white pieces would be at the top and the 2 black pieces on the bottom. Can they do it and what is the least number of moves it will take for the pieces to switch?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    12 views5 pages

    Pow5 Thebignightswitch

    Uploaded by

    api-255919724
    In a game of chess, the knight piece may only move according to strict rule of moving two squares in one direction, then one square in a perpendicular direction. The goal is to switch the places of the pieces, so that the 2 white pieces would be at the top and the 2 black pieces on the bottom. Can they do it and what is the least number of moves it will take for the pieces to switch?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 5

    AdrianneSantaRomana

    POW#5TheBigKnightSwitch
    February19,2016
    ProblemDescription
    Inagameofchess,theknightpiecemayonlymoveaccordingtostrict
    ruleofmovingtwosquaresinonedirection,thenonesquareinaperpendicular
    direction.Theknightcanonlymoveforward/backwardandleft/right,itcannot
    movediagonally.Inaddition,notwopiecescanoccupythesamesquare,
    howeveritmaypass/jumpoverotherpiecestowardsanemptyspace.Now,
    takinga3by3chessboardandplacing2blackknightsonthetopcorner
    squaresand2whiteknightsonthebottomsquares,thegoalistoswitchthe
    placesofthepieces,sothatthe2whitepieceswouldbeatthetopandthe2
    blackpiecesonthebottom.Thepiecescanonlymoveoneatatime,playby
    therulesofchess,andstaywithintheninesquares.Cantheydoitandwhatis
    theleastnumberofmovesitwilltakeforthepiecestoswitch?
    FigureI:Xrepresentsblackpieces
    Orepresentswhitepieces
    Process
    WhenIstartedtheproblem,Ilookedwhereeachpiececanmoveto,withoutworryingabouttheother
    piecesgettingintheway.SoIstartedwithonlythetopleftcornerpieceandmovedthepiecetoeachsquareitcan
    goto.


    AdrianneSantaRomana
    POW#5TheBigKnightSwitch
    February19,2016

    NowthatIendedupwithastarshapewith8vertices,Ihadtofigureout
    howthishelpssolvetheproblem.Knowingthateachpointendsupgoingbacktothe
    firststep,IconcludedthatifIpulledbackeachpointIwouldendupwithacircleor
    inthiscaseanoctagon.NoweachpointdoesnthaveadesignatednamesoI
    wouldntbeabletomarkitonthepolygon.Idecidedtolabelthecolumnsandrows,
    showninFigureII.Fromthere,oneachverticeoftheoctagonthecorresponding
    pointislabeledbasedontheorderinthedrawingsabove.

    FigureIII

    FigureII

    Nowthatthediagramissetup,Iplacedthepieceswiththe
    correspondingpositionfromthestartoftheboard.Ibeganto
    movethepiececlockwisefromthecurrentpositions.Fromthe
    imagesbelow,eachpiecemovesto4differentspotsbefore
    endingupintheoppositespotfromwherethepiecestarted.If
    eachoftheknightsmoves4timesandthereareatotalof4
    knightpieces,Iconcludedthatthenumberofstepstoreach
    theoppositepositionwouldbe16.
    4 4 = 16


    AdrianneSantaRomana
    POW#5TheBigKnightSwitch
    February19,2016
    1stRotate

    2ndRotate

    3rdRotate

    4thRotate

    Icheckedmyanswerbyphysicallymovingthepiecesanddrawingeachmovementonasheetofpaper.


    AdrianneSantaRomana
    POW#5TheBigKnightSwitch
    February19,2016

    Solution
    Byusingeachmethod,Iendedupwithatotalof16movestoswitchtheplacesofthepieces.Thefirst
    methodprovesthatitisinfacttheminimumnumberofmovespossible,andthesecondmethodshowsthatitis
    possibleforthepiecestoswitchpositionsontheboard.

    Extension
    Iftheboardisextendedintoa6by6,6knightsareplacedonthefirstrowoftheboardand6areplacedon
    thebottomrow,andalternatebetweenblackandwhite,isitpossibletoswitchthepositionswherewhitestandson
    wheretheblackusedtobeandviseversa?Whatistheminimumnumberofmoves?


    AdrianneSantaRomana
    POW#5TheBigKnightSwitch
    February19,2016
    SelfReflection
    ThisweeksPOWwasratherconfusingtome,solvingitaswellasexplainingit.WhenIfirststartedthe
    problem,IautomaticallythoughtIknewtheanswer,butthenIrememberedthatthepieceshadstrictrulestofollow,
    andthewayIsolveditdidntfollowthoserules.SoIreallyhadtothinkabouthowtomovethepieces,especially
    becausetheycanonlymoveoneatatime.Whenrealizingthateachknighthadtheabilitytomovewhereonehas
    alreadybeen,thatswhenIthoughtaboutfindingeachpositiontheycouldland.Fromthereitwasprettystraight
    forward.Ididattempttotrythechallengeproblemwiththe3by4board.Ispentsometime
    collaboratingand
    listening
    tomypeerwhohelpedmeoutontheproblem.Wespentquitesometimestaring,erasing,anddrawingon
    thewhiteboard.WebelievedthatthefirstmethodIusedwouldberelatedtothechallenge,howeveritwasntexactly
    it.
    Visualizing

    theproblemwasahabitthatIusedveryofteninthePOW.Justdrawingoutaquickdiagramwasnt
    enough.Ihadtoactuallytestitanddrawouteachsteptobetterunderstandtheproblemandtheshowtheproofof
    mysolution.Idobelievethatthereisanequationassociatedwiththisproblem,andthatitcouldberelatedtothe
    numberofplaceseachpiececanbeplaced.ForthisPOW,Iwouldrateita9.710becauseIdidadddiagramsand
    drawings.Ifeltthataddingtwodifferentmethods,showproofofmysolutionaswell.However,IdobelievethatI
    didlackitexplanationinafewareasandIcouldvewentdeeperintothechallengeproblems.

    You might also like