Where's the Shop

[barand]

Where on the map do we have to start from. Or is by some miracle of teleportation that we are always 0 distance from wherever we choose to deliver to first?

[Mr. Sketch]

It sounded like we could choose where to start and end. However, it does seem like it would make more sense if the problem was a cycle: give us the location of the pizza place and find the shortest distance to get to all the locations and back to the shop.

Originally posted by Mr. Sketch@Jul 23 2003, 09:26 PM
give us the location of the pizza place and find the shortest distance to get to all the locations and back to the shop.

Sure, it would make more sense, but IMHO it wouldn't make the contest harder

[ciaccia]

Sorry, I forgot to login... :huh:

[Mr. Sketch]

Originally posted by ciaccia@Jul 23 2003, 05:15 PM
Sure, it would make more sense, but IMHO it wouldn't make the contest harder

Yes it wouldn't be any harder but it might make more sense in the context of the problem. The problem is already NP Complete (Traveling Salesman), so it couldn't get much harder

[stuart]

OK so there is no shop
I thought about having a distinct start and end point, but it seems this could actually make it easier. I your scripts knows where to start then that job is done, if however it has to find the best starting point it make it just that tiny bit more interesting.

Im aware that 'shortest route' algorithms are by far one of the most common and many are available to use, but its not about what algorithm you use, it how you code it!!

Anyway who said anything about a shop? the Pizza Dude cooks the pizzas right there on his bike (with a blow torch) - and phones his buddy to drop him off (at the starting point) and pick him up when he's done, lol ;-)