Puzzles for Programmers and Pros

Dr. Dennis Shasha is a professor of Mathematical Sciences in the Department of Computer Science at NYU. Along with research and teaching in biological computing, pattern recognition, database tuning , cryptographic file systems, and the like, Dennis is well-known for his mathematical puzzle column for Dr. Dobbs whose readers are very sharp and his Puzzling Adventures Column for the Scientific American. His puzzle writing has given birth to fictional books about a mathematical detective named Dr. Ecco. Dr. Shasha has also co-authored numerous highly technical books. Dennis speaks often at conferences and is a tireless self-promoter in the world of “mensa-like” puzzles.

• Acknowledgments v Introduction xiPart I: Mind Games 1We can't all be winners. 3Sweet Tooth 4Byzantine Bettors 6A Touch of Luck 8Information Gain 10Reach for the Sky! 12Pork Politics 14Social Games 15Escape Management 19Flu Math 21Imagination rules... 23Whipping Ice 24Optimal Jargon 29Using Your Marbles 31Flipping Colors 33Scheduling Tradition 34Fractal Biology 35As Easy as Pie 37Getting on the right side of luck 41Lucky Roulette 42Legal Logic 44The Box Chip Game 47Feedback Dividends 49What are you thinking? 53Number Clues 54Mind Games 56Refuse and Reveal 59A Biting Maze 61Mad Mix 63Doing more with less 65Dig That! 66Preferential Romance 68No Change for the Holidays 71Quiet in the Depths 73Solutions 74Solution to Sweet Tooth 74Solution to Byzantine Bettors 74Solution to A Touch of Luck 76Solution to Information Gain 78Solution to Reach for the Sky! 78Solution to Pork Politics 79Solution to Social Games 80Solution to Escape Management 81Solution to Flu Math 83Solution to Whipping Ice 84Solution to Optimal Jargon 86Solution to Using Your Marbles 88Solution to Flipping Colors 89Solution to Scheduling Tradition 90Solution to Fractal Biology 91Solution to As Easy as Pie 94Solution to Lucky Roulette 96Solution to Legal Logic 96Solution to The Box Chip Game 97Solution to Feedback Dividends 102Solution to Number Clues 103Solution to Mind Games 104Solution to Refuse and Reveal 108Solution to A Biting Maze 110Solution to Mad Mix 112Solution to Dig That! 113Solution to Preferential Romance 116Solution to No Change for the Holidays 117Solution to Quiet in the Depths 118Part II: The Secret of the Puzzle 121Order the Ages 126Urban Planning 128Solution to Urban Planning 129Finding a Schedule That Works 131Solution to Finding a Schedule That Works 132Picturing the Treasure 133Solution to Picturing the Treasure 135Sudoku 138Solution to Sudoku 146Number Encoding 147Solution to Number Encoding 149Selective Greed 150Solution to Selective Greed 155Sweet Packs 156Solution to Sweet Packs 158Revisiting a Traveling Salesman 159Solution to Revisiting a Traveling Salesman 163Overloaded Scheduling and Freezing Crystals 164Solution to Overloaded Scheduling and Freezing Crystals 170Wordsnakes 171Solution to Wordsnakes 173Maximal Friends 174Solution to Maximal Friends 176Winning at the Slots 177Solution to Winning at the Slots 179Understanding Dice 181Solution to Understanding Dice 183Bait and Switch 184Solution to Bait and Switch 186Part III: Faithful Foes 189Index 221