Re^6: Challenge: Optimal Bagels Strategy

I recommended the score being simply the total number of tries,

Then a brute-force solution scores the same as a clever algorithm even if it takes a year to complete.

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

RIP PCW It is as I've been saying!(Audio until 20090817)

Comment on Re^6: Challenge: Optimal Bagels Strategy

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Re^7: Challenge: Optimal Bagels Strategy by ambrus (Abbot) on Sep 28, 2009 at 11:01 UTC
You can't brute force the largest case where v = 10 and p = 36 by far. More importantly my problem with your formula is that if it's taken seriously, it might favor solutions that run within a millisecond and are optimized for speed in complicated ways, which I wouldn't quite like. As a compromise, how about at least changing your formula in the following way: score = (totalTries - minimumTries) * max((totalTime - timeInCheckSub) / totalTries, smallTimeConstant) On second thought, do as you want, I probably don't really care about any scoring or winning here, I'd like to write a solution that satisfy me, and learn from it. If you make a common and mostly mechanical framework, it should rather rigorously test the solutions for correctness and be a developer's aid rather than select a winner.	[reply]
Re^8: Challenge: Optimal Bagels Strategy by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 28, 2009 at 11:28 UTC
On second thought, do as you want, Hell. I'm still trying to get mine to cover all the edge cases. I was just trying to simplify midLifeXis' 4 criteria into something that allows us to compare algorithm against algorithm in a sane way. He did ask for suggestions, so I gave him one. Grr. Paranoia! Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice. RIP PCW It is as I've been saying!(Audio until 20090817)	[reply]