Bestfrog said:What book do you think is better for a 1st year college Physics student: "Introduction to Classical Mechanics (with problems and solutions)" or "Problems and solutions in Introductory Mechanics" of D. Morin?
Despite the fact that the titles are very similar the two books are different, but I don't know which to choose.
Morin's problem is a mathematical puzzle proposed by French mathematician Maxime Morin in 1893. It involves finding the minimum number of moves required to rearrange a set of n coins from a starting configuration to a target configuration. This problem is considered difficult because it requires advanced mathematical concepts and techniques to solve, and the solution is not immediately obvious.
One of the main challenges in solving Morin's problem is determining the minimum number of moves required to solve the puzzle. This requires the use of mathematical techniques such as graph theory, combinatorics, and group theory. Another challenge is finding an efficient algorithm to solve the problem, as the number of possible configurations increases exponentially with the number of coins.
Yes, there are known solutions to Morin's problem for small values of n (number of coins). For example, the minimum number of moves for n=3 is 2, and for n=4 it is 3. However, for larger values of n, the exact solution is still unknown and remains a topic of research in mathematics.
Morin's problem is still relevant in modern mathematics because it serves as a challenging puzzle for students and researchers to test their problem-solving skills. It also has applications in other areas of mathematics, such as abstract algebra and computer science, making it a useful tool for exploring new concepts and techniques.
Although Morin's problem was originally proposed as a purely theoretical puzzle, it has found real-world applications in fields such as robotics and game theory. The problem of rearranging coins can be seen as a simplified version of real-world problems such as robot motion planning and resource allocation, making it a useful tool for studying these complex systems.