Computation for Puzzles and Games

Catalog description

How can we apply computer science to better understand (and have even more fun with) games and puzzles? What can we do when a game is too complex to analyze exhaustively, or when no efficient algorithms exist to solve a logic puzzle? This sampler course will whet your appetite for CS theory and AI as we apply those lenses to both classics (e.g., chess, Scrabble, the Rubik's cube, the Lights Out puzzle) and modern favorites (e.g., Sudoku, Kakuro, Esports, and tool-assisted speedruns). Each week, we will have one lecture and one optional hands-on puzzle/problem solving session, culminating in an (optional) on-foot puzzle hunt around campus. Material of varying technical complexity will be presented, and although some experience with programming and CS theory will be helpful, the course is open to all.