prove the impossible lecture 6: sep 19 (based on slides in mit 6.042) 1234 5678 9101112 131415 1234...
TRANSCRIPT
Prove the Impossible
Lecture 6: Sep 19 (based on slides in MIT 6.042)
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Domino Puzzle
An 8x8 chessboard, 32 pieces of dominos
Can we fill the chessboard?
Domino Puzzle
An 8x8 chessboard, 32 pieces of dominos
Easy!
Domino Puzzle
An 8x8 chessboard with two holes, 31 pieces of dominos
Can we fill the chessboard?
Easy!
Domino Puzzle
An 8x8 chessboard with two holes, 31 pieces of dominos
Can we fill the chessboard?
Easy??
Domino Puzzle
An 4x4 chessboard with two holes, 7 pieces of dominos
Can we fill the chessboard?
Impossible!
Domino Puzzle
An 8x8 chessboard with two holes, 31 pieces of dominos
Can we fill the chessboard?
Then what??
Another Chessboard Problem
?
A rook can only move along a diagonal
Can a rook move from its current position to the question mark?
Another Chessboard Problem
?
A rook can only move along a diagonal
Can a rook move from its current position to the question mark?
Impossible!
Why?
Another Chessboard Problem
?
1. The rook is in a blue
position.
2. A blue position can only
move to a blue position by
diagonal moves.
3. The question mark is in a
white position.
4. So it is impossible for the
rook to go there.
Invariant!
This is a very simple example of the invariant method.
Domino Puzzle
An 8x8 chessboard with two holes, 31 pieces of dominos
Can we fill the chessboard?
Domino Puzzle
1. Each domino will occupy one
white square and one blue
square.
2. There are 32 blue squares
but only 30 white squares.
3. So it is impossible to fill the
chessboard using only 31
dominos.
Invariant!
This is a simple example of the invariant method.
Invariant Method
1. Find properties (the invariants) that are
satisfied throughout the whole process.
2. Show that the target do not satisfy the properties.
3. Conclude that the target is not achievable.
In the rook example, the invariant is the colour of the position of the rook.
In the domino example, the invariant is that
any placement of dominos will occupy the same
number of blue positions and white positions.
The Possible
We just proved that if we take out two squares of the same colour, then it is impossible to finish.
What if we take out two squares of different colours?Would it be always possible to finish then?
Yes??
Prove the Possible
Yes??
Prove the Possible
The secret.
Prove the Possible
The secret.
Fifteen Puzzle
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Move: can move a square adjacent to the empty square
to the empty square.
Fifteen Puzzle
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Initial configuration Target configuration
Is there a sequence of moves that allows you to start
from the initial configuration to the target
configuration?
Invariant Method
1. Find properties (the invariants) that are
satisfied throughout the whole process.
2. Show that the target do not satisfy the properties.
3. Conclude that the target is not achievable.
What is an invariant in this game??
This is usually the hardest part of the proof.
Hint
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Initial configuration Target configuration
((1,2,3,…,14,15),(4,4)) ((1,2,3,…,15,14),(4,4))
Hint: the two states have different parity.
Parity
Given a sequence, a pair is “out-of-order” if the first element is larger.
For example, the sequence (1,2,4,5,3) has two out-of-order pairs, (4,3) and (5,3).
Given a state S = ((a1,a2,…,a15),(i,j))
Parity of S = (number of out-of-order pairs + i) mod 2
row number of the empty square
Hint
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Initial configuration Target configuration
((1,2,3,…,14,15),(4,4)) ((1,2,3,…,15,14),(4,4))
Clearly, the two states have different parity.
Parity of S = (number of out-of-order pairs + i) mod 2
Invariant Method
1. Find properties (the invariants) that are
satisfied throughout the whole process.
2. Show that the target do not satisfy the properties.
3. Conclude that the target is not achievable.
Invariant = parity of state
Claim: Any move will preserve the parity of the state.
Proving the claim will finish the impossibility proof.
Parity is even
Parity is odd
Proving the Invariant
Claim: Any move will preserve the parity of the state.
Parity of S = (number of out-of-order pairs + i) mod 2
? ? ? ?
? a ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
? a ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
Horizontal movement does not change anything…
Proving the Invariant
Claim: Any move will preserve the parity of the state.
Parity of S = (number of out-of-order pairs + i) mod 2
? ? ? ?
? a b1 b2
b3 ? ?
? ? ? ?
? ? ? ?
? b1 b2
b3 a ? ?
? ? ? ?
If there are (0,1,2,3) out-of-order pairs in the current state,
there will be (3,2,1,0) out-of-order pairs in the next state.
Row number has changed by 1
So the parity stays the same! We’ve proved the claim.
Difference
is 1 or 3.
Fifteen Puzzle
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Initial configuration Target configuration
Is there a sequence of moves that allows you to start
from the initial configuration to the target
configuration?
This is a standard example of the invariant method.
Checker
x=0
Start with any configuration with all men on or below the x-axis.
Checker
x=0
Move: jump through your adjacent neighbour, but then your neighbour will disappear.
Checker
x=0
Move: jump through your adjacent neighbour, but then your neighbour will disappear.
Checker
x=0
Goal: Find an initial configuration with least number of men to jump up to level k.
K=1
x=0
2 men.
K=2
x=0
K=2
x=0
4 men.
Now we have reduced to the k=1 configuration, but one level higher.
K=3
x=0
This is the configuration for k=2, so jump two level higher.
K=3
x=0
8 men.
K=4
x=0
K=4
x=0
K=4
x=0
K=4
x=0
K=4
x=0
Now we have reduced to the k=3 configuration, but one level higher
20 men!
K=5
a. 39 or below
b. 40-50 men
c. 51-70 men
d. 71- 100 men
e. 101 – 1000 men
f. 1001 or above
None of the above (but f is closest), it is impossible!
This is a tricky example of the invariant method.
Excellent project idea
Classwork 1
October 3 (in class)
1. Logic.
2. Sets, functions.
3. Proof by cases, contradiction.
4. Proof by inductions.
5. Invariant method.
True or false, multiple choice, short question, long question.
A very useful method