We address the new problem of puzzle layout as a new application of graph drawing. We present two abstract models of puzzles, permutation puzzles and cyclic puzzles, which can be modeled as puzzle graphs. Based on these models, we implement two puzzle generators and produce various layouts of the puzzles using graph drawing algorithms. Using these puzzle generators we can create new puzzles. Fu...

In this work, we develop a Monte Carlo Tree Search based approach to procedurally generate Sokoban puzzles. To this end, we propose heuristic metrics based on surrounding box path congestion and level tile layout to guide the search towards interesting puzzles. Our method generates puzzles through simulated game play, guaranteeing solvability in all generated puzzles. Our algorithm is efficient...

Conception and calculation method of information entropy is customized for Sudoku puzzles and a corresponding algorithm is designed to solve Sudoku puzzles. The definitions of inverse information entropy and information amount for inverse information entropy are also introduced and directly used instead of information entropy in order to simplify the solving procedure. Experimental results show...

Single-player games (often called puzzles) have received considerable attention from the scientific community. Consequently, interesting insights into some puzzles, and into the approaches for solving them, have emerged. However, many puzzles have been neglected, possibly because they are unknown to many people. In this article, we survey NP-Complete puzzles in the hope of motivating further re...

We show that jigsaw puzzles, edge-matching puzzles, and polyomino packing puzzles are all NP-complete. Furthermore, we show direct equivalences between these three types of puzzles: any puzzle of one type can be converted into an equivalent puzzle of any other type.

In this paper we introduce new types of square-piece jigsaw puzzles, where in addition to the unknown location and orientation of each piece, a piece might also need to be flipped. These puzzles, which are associated with a number of real world problems, are considerably harder, from a computational standpoint. Specifically, we present a novel generalized genetic algorithm (GA)based solver that...

Sudoku is a logic-based combinatorial puzzle game which people in different ages enjoy playing it. The challenging and addictive nature of this game has made it a ubiquitous game. Most magazines, newspapers, puzzle books, etc. publish lots of Sudoku puzzles every day. These puzzles often come in different levels of difficulty so that all people, from beginner to expert, can play the game and en...

We present two abstract models of puzzles, permutation puzzles and cyclic puzzles, which can be modelled as puzzle graphs. Based on these models, we implement two puzzle generators and produce various layouts of the puzzles using graph drawing algorithms. Using these puzzle generators we can create new puzzles. Further, we can create new user interfaces of a puzzle by applying different layout ...

In this work, we develop a Monte Carlo Tree Search based approach to procedurally generate Sokoban puzzles. To this end, we propose heuristic metrics based on surrounding box path congestion and level tile layout to guide the search towards interesting puzzles. Our method generates puzzles through simulated game play, guaranteeing solvability in all generated puzzles. Our algorithm is efficient...

Computational puzzles are mildly difficult computational problems that require resources (processor cycles, memory, or both) to solve. Puzzles have found a variety of uses in security. In this paper we are concerned with client puzzles: a type of puzzle used as a defense against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Before engaging in a resource consuming protocol with a client, a server demands tha...