Optimizing Puzzle Solutions through Grid Simulation

[barwick11]

"Evolving grid" simulation?

I'm not quite sure what to call this problem, but basically, I am trying to solve a puzzle. It works as follows:

• There is a 9x9 grid
• Each square can either be "on" or "off"
• At the beginning of the puzzle, the 9 squares dead center of the grid are "on", the rest are "off"
• The object of the puzzle is to get the top right square "on", it doesn't matter what the other ones are at that point, as soon as it turns "on", puzzle solved
• You can only turn a square "off", you cannot turn one on.
• Prior to "starting" the puzzle, you can turn off as many of the original 9 squares you want.
• Every second (or so), another "evolution" happens in the puzzle, turning some squares on, others off. While this is happening, you can turn squares off, but due to time constraints, you really can only turn off *maybe* one square per evolution. It could be possible to turn off more, but it's not that likely.

So basically, there are obviously rules that govern what happens with each "evolution". I'm about 95% sure that those rules are constant throughout the whole puzzle, so no worries there. I don't exactly know what those rules are, but I've got a pretty good idea.

My big question is, do you guys know of a grid simulation program or something (almost like an othello grid that I can just customize somehow), that I can use to determine the rules behind the puzzle as I play it, and then to simulate the fastest possible solution to the puzzle?

 

[Tac-Tics]

My big question is, do you guys know of a grid simulation program or something (almost like an othello grid that I can just customize somehow), that I can use to determine the rules behind the puzzle as I play it, and then to simulate the fastest possible solution to the puzzle?

Write one yourself. It shouldn't be hard. Throw together a Python script. You could even set it up with a wxPython front end to display the graphics using the number pad to turn squares off.

 

[barwick11]

I've never written anything in python... I could probably write it up in another language, but I thought something out there would already exist that does something like this

 

[story645]

I've never written anything in python... I could probably write it up in another language, but I thought something out there would already exist that does something like this

Is this a modified form of Conway's Game of Life? It sounds really similar, and there's already lots of code out there for that. (Even the wiki page has animations.)

 

[barwick11]

sweet, that was it, solution was a glider :)

 

[DavidSnider]

Just curious, what brought this question on?