Skip to main content

programming - How to improve this code for solving the "Mr.S and Mr.P" puzzle?




Mr.S and Mr. P puzzle"Formalization of two Puzzles Involving Knowledge", McCarthy, John (1987)


We pick two numbers $a$ and $b$, such that $a\geq b$ and both numbers are within the range $(2,99)$. We give Mr.P the product $a b$ and give Mr.S the sum $a+b$. Then following dialog takes place:


Mr.P: I don't know the numbers
Mr.S: I knew you didn't know. I don'tknow either.
Mr.P: Now I know the numbers
Mr.S: Now I know them too


Can we find the numbers $a$ and $b$?



I tried to do this, but it is very slow. I am sure there must be a simpler way.


Clear[pool, f1, f2, f3];

pool = Join @@ Table[{i, j}, {i, 2, 99}, {j, 2, i}];

f1[x_] := Length@Select[pool, Times @@ # == x &] != 1
f2[x_] := Length@Select[pool, Plus @@ # == x &] != 1
f3[x_] := And @@ (f1 /@ (Times @@@ Select[pool, Plus @@ # == x &]))
f4[x_] := Length@Select[Select[pool, Times @@ # == x &], f3[#[[1]] + #[[2]]] &] == 1
f5[x_] := Length@Select[Select[pool, Plus @@ # == x &], f4[#[[1]]*#[[2]]] &] == 1

Select[pool,
f1[#[[1]]*#[[2]]] && f2[#[[1]] + #[[2]]] && f3[#[[1]] + #[[2]]] &&

f4[#[[1]]*#[[2]]] && f5[#[[1]] + #[[2]]] &] // Timing

Answer



I tried to understand the other two solutions, but honestly, I couldn't. So I tried to write a version that is easier to understand.


EDIT: I've refactored the code a little, primarily pulling out the "knowledge operators" personKnowsSolution and personKnowsProperty. I'm not really following McCarthy's axiomatization of knowledge, this is just my ad-hoc way of expressing "knowledge" in Mathematica.


Clear[personKnowsSolution, personKnowsProperty, mrP, mrS]
personKnowsSolution[informationFilter_, possibilities_] :=
Join @@ Select[GatherBy[possibilities, informationFilter], Length[#] == 1 &]
personKnowsProperty[informationFilter_, possibilities_, property_] :=
Select[possibilities, property[informationFilter[#]] &]
mrP[{a_, b_}] := a*b

mrS[{a_, b_}] := a + b
(
allPossibilities = Join @@ Table[{i, j}, {i, 2, 99}, {j, 2, i}];

(* Mr. P doesn't know the solution *)
mrPWouldKnowSolution = personKnowsSolution[mrP, allPossibilities];
mrPDoesntKnowSolution = Complement[allPossibilities, mrPWouldKnowSolution];

(* Mr. S doesn't know the solution *)
mrSWouldKnowSolution = personKnowsSolution[mrS, allPossibilities];

mrSDoesntKnowSolution = Complement[allPossibilities, mrSWouldKnowSolution];

(* Mr. S knows Mr. P doesn't know the solution *)
sumsWhereMrPWouldKnowTheSolution = Union[mrS /@ mrPWouldKnowSolution];
mrSKnowsMrPDoesntKnow =
personKnowsProperty[mrS, mrSDoesntKnowSolution,
Not[MemberQ[sumsWhereMrPWouldKnowTheSolution, #]] &];

(* Given that, Mr. P knows the solution *)
mrPKnowsTheSolution = personKnowsSolution[mrP, mrSKnowsMrPDoesntKnow];


(* Given that, Mr. S knows the solution *)
mrSKnowsTheSolution = personKnowsSolution[mrS, mrPKnowsTheSolution]
) // Timing

Output: {0.063, {{13, 4}}}


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

front end - keyboard shortcut to invoke Insert new matrix

I frequently need to type in some matrices, and the menu command Insert > Table/Matrix > New... allows matrices with lines drawn between columns and rows, which is very helpful. I would like to make a keyboard shortcut for it, but cannot find the relevant frontend token command (4209405) for it. Since the FullForm[] and InputForm[] of matrices with lines drawn between rows and columns is the same as those without lines, it's hard to do this via 3rd party system-wide text expanders (e.g. autohotkey or atext on mac). How does one assign a keyboard shortcut for the menu item Insert > Table/Matrix > New... , preferably using only mathematica? Thanks! Answer In the MenuSetup.tr (for linux located in the $InstallationDirectory/SystemFiles/FrontEnd/TextResources/X/ directory), I changed the line MenuItem["&New...", "CreateGridBoxDialog"] to read MenuItem["&New...", "CreateGridBoxDialog", MenuKey["m", Modifiers-...

How to thread a list

I have data in format data = {{a1, a2}, {b1, b2}, {c1, c2}, {d1, d2}} Tableform: I want to thread it to : tdata = {{{a1, b1}, {a2, b2}}, {{a1, c1}, {a2, c2}}, {{a1, d1}, {a2, d2}}} Tableform: And I would like to do better then pseudofunction[n_] := Transpose[{data2[[1]], data2[[n]]}]; SetAttributes[pseudofunction, Listable]; Range[2, 4] // pseudofunction Here is my benchmark data, where data3 is normal sample of real data. data3 = Drop[ExcelWorkBook[[Column1 ;; Column4]], None, 1]; data2 = {a #, b #, c #, d #} & /@ Range[1, 10^5]; data = RandomReal[{0, 1}, {10^6, 4}]; Here is my benchmark code kptnw[list_] := Transpose[{Table[First@#, {Length@# - 1}], Rest@#}, {3, 1, 2}] &@list kptnw2[list_] := Transpose[{ConstantArray[First@#, Length@# - 1], Rest@#}, {3, 1, 2}] &@list OleksandrR[list_] := Flatten[Outer[List, List@First[list], Rest[list], 1], {{2}, {1, 4}}] paradox2[list_] := Partition[Riffle[list[[1]], #], 2] & /@ Drop[list, 1] RM[list_] := FoldList[Transpose[{First@li...

mathematical optimization - Minimizing using indices, error: Part::pkspec1: The expression cannot be used as a part specification

I want to use Minimize where the variables to minimize are indices pointing into an array. Here a MWE that hopefully shows what my problem is. vars = u@# & /@ Range[3]; cons = Flatten@ { Table[(u[j] != #) & /@ vars[[j + 1 ;; -1]], {j, 1, 3 - 1}], 1 vec1 = {1, 2, 3}; vec2 = {1, 2, 3}; Minimize[{Total@((vec1[[#]] - vec2[[u[#]]])^2 & /@ Range[1, 3]), cons}, vars, Integers] The error I get: Part::pkspec1: The expression u[1] cannot be used as a part specification. >> Answer Ok, it seems that one can get around Mathematica trying to evaluate vec2[[u[1]]] too early by using the function Indexed[vec2,u[1]] . The working MWE would then look like the following: vars = u@# & /@ Range[3]; cons = Flatten@{ Table[(u[j] != #) & /@ vars[[j + 1 ;; -1]], {j, 1, 3 - 1}], 1 vec1 = {1, 2, 3}; vec2 = {1, 2, 3}; NMinimize[ {Total@((vec1[[#]] - Indexed[vec2, u[#]])^2 & /@ R...