2 Search Results for "Almanza, Matteo"


Document
Tracks from hell - when finding a proof may be easier than checking it

Authors: Matteo Almanza, Stefano Leucci, and Alessandro Panconesi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 100, 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)


Abstract
We consider the popular smartphone game Trainyard: a puzzle game that requires the player to lay down tracks in order to route colored trains from departure stations to suitable arrival stations. While it is already known [Almanza et al., FUN 2016] that the problem of finding a solution to a given Trainyard instance (i.e., game level) is NP-hard, determining the computational complexity of checking whether a candidate solution (i.e., a track layout) solves the level was left as an open problem. In this paper we prove that this verification problem is PSPACE-complete, thus implying that Trainyard players might not only have a hard time finding solutions to a given level, but they might even be unable to efficiently recognize them.

Cite as

Matteo Almanza, Stefano Leucci, and Alessandro Panconesi. Tracks from hell - when finding a proof may be easier than checking it. In 9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 100, pp. 4:1-4:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2018)


Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{almanza_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2018.4,
  author =	{Almanza, Matteo and Leucci, Stefano and Panconesi, Alessandro},
  title =	{{Tracks from hell - when finding a proof may be easier than checking it}},
  booktitle =	{9th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2018)},
  pages =	{4:1--4:13},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-067-5},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2018},
  volume =	{100},
  editor =	{Ito, Hiro and Leonardi, Stefano and Pagli, Linda and Prencipe, Giuseppe},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops-dev.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.4},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-87954},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.4},
  annote =	{Keywords: puzzle games, solitaire games, Trainyard, verification}
}
Document
Trainyard is NP-hard

Authors: Matteo Almanza, Stefano Leucci, and Alessandro Panconesi

Published in: LIPIcs, Volume 49, 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)


Abstract
Recently, due to the widespread diffusion of smart-phones, mobile puzzle games have experienced a huge increase in their popularity. A successful puzzle has to be both captivating and challenging, and it has been suggested that this features are somehow related to their computational complexity. Indeed, many puzzle games - such as Mah-Jongg, Sokoban, Candy Crush, and 2048, to name a few - are known to be NP-hard. In this paper we consider Trainyard: a popular mobile puzzle game whose goal is to get colored trains from their initial stations to suitable destination stations. We prove that the problem of determining whether there exists a solution to a given Trainyard level is NP. We also provide an implementation of our hardness reduction (see http://trainyard.isnphard.com).

Cite as

Matteo Almanza, Stefano Leucci, and Alessandro Panconesi. Trainyard is NP-hard. In 8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 49, pp. 2:1-2:14, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2016)


Copy BibTex To Clipboard

@InProceedings{almanza_et_al:LIPIcs.FUN.2016.2,
  author =	{Almanza, Matteo and Leucci, Stefano and Panconesi, Alessandro},
  title =	{{Trainyard is NP-hard}},
  booktitle =	{8th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms (FUN 2016)},
  pages =	{2:1--2:14},
  series =	{Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs)},
  ISBN =	{978-3-95977-005-7},
  ISSN =	{1868-8969},
  year =	{2016},
  volume =	{49},
  editor =	{Demaine, Erik D. and Grandoni, Fabrizio},
  publisher =	{Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik},
  address =	{Dagstuhl, Germany},
  URL =		{https://drops-dev.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.2},
  URN =		{urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-58796},
  doi =		{10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2016.2},
  annote =	{Keywords: Complexity of Games, Trainyard}
}
  • Refine by Author
  • 2 Almanza, Matteo
  • 2 Leucci, Stefano
  • 2 Panconesi, Alessandro

  • Refine by Classification
  • 1 Theory of computation → Problems, reductions and completeness

  • Refine by Keyword
  • 2 Trainyard
  • 1 Complexity of Games
  • 1 puzzle games
  • 1 solitaire games
  • 1 verification

  • Refine by Type
  • 2 document

  • Refine by Publication Year
  • 1 2016
  • 1 2018

Questions / Remarks / Feedback
X

Feedback for Dagstuhl Publishing


Thanks for your feedback!

Feedback submitted

Could not send message

Please try again later or send an E-mail