# A Number Link Game?

CServer Side ProgrammingProgramming

Number link is a type of logic puzzle involving finding paths to connect numbers in a grid.

A simple example of a Numberlink puzzle The solution to the Numberlink puzzle

Rules − The player has to pair up all the matching numbers on the grid with single continuous lines (or paths). The lines cannot branch off or cross over each other, and the numbers have to fall at the end of each line (i.e., not in the middle). It is considered that a problem is well-designed only if it has a unique solution and all the cells in the grid are filled, although some Numberlink designers do not stipulate this.

The Game − Consider an n × n array of squares. Some of the squares are empty, some are solid, and some non-solid squares are marked by integers 1, 2, 3, … Each integer occupies exactly two different squares on the board. The task of the player is to connect the two occurrences of each integer on the board by a simple path using horizontal and vertical movements alone. No two different paths are allowed to intersect one another. No path may include any solid square (solid squares are forbidden to appear on any path). Finally, all non-solid squares must be filled by the paths.

The Algorithm − To prepare a valid random puzzle with a given board size n × n, we first generate random simple mutually non-intersecting paths on the board. If a few isolated squares remain outside all the generated paths, mark these isolated squares as solid (forbidden). We then supply the endpoints of the paths and the list of the solid squares as the puzzle.

Thus we first generate a solution and then work out the puzzle from the solution. The paths and the solid squares partition the n × n board. We use a union-find data structure to generate this partition. The data structure deals with the subsets of the set of n^2 squares on the board.

## Explanation

• Locate squares (i, j) and (k, l) randomly on the board such that:(a) (i, j) and (k, l) are neighbors of one another, and (b) neither (i, j) nor (k, l) belongs to any path generated so far. If no such pair of squares is found on the entire board, return FAILURE /* Here, (i, j) and (k, l) are the first two squares on the new path to be constructed. *

• Make a union of the two union-find trees containing (i, j) and (k, l).

• Repeat so long as the current path can be extended: Rename (i, j) = (k, l). Locate a random neighboring square (k, l) of (i, j) such that: (a) (k, l) does not belong to any path generated so far (including the current one) (b) the only neighbor (k, l) has on the partially constructed current path is (i, j).

• If no such neighbor (k, l) can be found, the path cannot be extended further, so break the loop

• Otherwise, make the union of the two union-find trees to which (i, j) and (k, l) belong.

• Set the endpoint flags of the two squares that are at the beginning and at the end of the new path.

• Return SUCCESS

Input

| || || || || || || 4 |
| || || || || || 3 || |
| || || 2 || 2 || || || 3 |
| || || || || X || || 1 |
| || || 6 || || || 7 || 7 |
| 5 || 4 || || X || || X || 1 |
| || 5 || || 6 || || || |

Output

The solution to the above table

| 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 4 |
| 4 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 3 |
| 4 || 1 || 2 || 2 || 1 || 1 || 3 |
| 4 || 1 || 1 || 1 || X || 1 || 1 |
| 4 || 4 || 6 || 1 || 1 || 7 || 7 |
| 5 || 4 || 6 || X || 1 || X || 1 |
| 5 || 5 || 6 || 6 || 1 || 1 || 1 |

## Example

#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<time.h>
struct _node {
struct _node *parent;
int rank;
int path_number;
int endpoint;
};
typedef struct _node node;
/* Name: initboard()
Input: 2D-array of pointers, size of array row/column
Output: --void--
Description: Takes a table of pointers and initializes it. */
void initboard(node ***arr, int n) {
int i, j;
for (i=0;i<n;i++){
for (j=0;j<n;j++){
node *np;
np = (node *)malloc(sizeof(node));
np->rank = 0;
np->parent = NULL;
np->path_number = 0;
np->endpoint = 0;
arr[i][j] = np;
}
}
}
/*

Input:a node
Output:the set pointer of the set the node belongs to

Description − Takes a node and returns the set pointer. */

node *findset(node *n) {
if (n->parent != NULL)
n = n->parent;
return n;
}
void setunion(node *x, node *y) {
x = findset(x);
y = findset(y);
if (x->rank > y->rank)
y->parent = x;
else {
x->parent = y;
if(x->rank == y->rank)
y->rank++;
}
}
int neighbour(int n, node ***arr) {
int i1, i2, j1, j2, ct = 0, flag = 0, a, b,k2;
int k = rand()%(n*n);
while (ct < (n*n)) {
k %= (n*n);
i1 = k/n;
j1 = k%n;
if (arr[i1][j1]->path_number==0) {
int kk = rand()%4;
int cc = 0;
switch (kk) {
case 0: i2= i1-1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 1: i2= i1-0;
j2= j1-1;
if(j2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 2: i2= i1+1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 3: i2= i1-0;
j2= j1+1;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 4: if(cc==4)
break;
i2= i1-1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 5: if(cc==4)
break;
i2= i1-0;
j2= j1-1;
if(j2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 6: if(cc==4)
break;
i2= i1+1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
case 7: if(cc==4)
break;
i2= i1-0;
j2= j1+1;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
cc++;
}
}
if(flag==1)
break;
ct++;
k++;
}
if(ct<n*n) {
k2= (i2*n)+j2;
return k*(n*n)+k2;
} else {
return -1;
}
}
int checkneigh(int k1, int k2, int n, node ***arr) {
int i= k2/n;
int j= k2%n;
int ii= k1/n;
int jj= k1%n;
int ct=0;
if(i>0 && findset(arr[i-1][j])==findset(arr[ii][jj]))
ct++;
if(i<n-1 && findset(arr[i+1][j])==findset(arr[ii][jj]))
ct++;
if(j>0 && findset(arr[i][j-1])==findset(arr[ii][jj]))
ct++;
if(j<n-1 && findset(arr[i][j+1])==findset(arr[ii][jj]))
ct++;
if(ct>1)
return 0;
else
return 1;
}
int valid_next(int k, int n, node ***arr) {
int i1, i2, j1, j2, a, b, kk, stat,ct=0;
int flag=0;
i1= k/n;
j1= k%n;
kk= rand()%4;
switch(kk) {
case 0: i2= i1-1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 1: i2= i1-0;
j2= j1-1;
if(j2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 2: i2= i1+1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 3: i2= i1-0;
j2= j1+1;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 4: if(ct==4)
break;
i2= i1-1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 5: if(ct==4)
break;
i2= i1-0;
j2= j1-1;
if(j2>=0 && i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 6: if(ct==4)
break;
i2= i1+1;
j2= j1-0;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
case 7: if(ct==4)
break;
i2= i1-0;
j2= j1+1;
if(i2<n && j2<n) {
if(arr[i2][j2]->path_number==0) {
stat= checkneigh(k, (n*i2 + j2),n,arr);
//printf("%d\n",stat);
if(stat) {
flag=1;
break;
}
}
}
ct++;
}
//printf("flag- %d\n",flag);
if(flag==0)
return -1;
if(flag) {
//printf("value sent- %d\n", i2*n + j2);
return (i2*n)+j2;
}
}
int addpath(node ***arr, int n, int ptno) {
int a,b,k1,k2;
int i1,j1,i2,j2;
k2= neighbour( n, arr);
if(k2==-1) //no valid pair found to start with
return 0;
k1= k2/(n*n);
k2= k2%(n*n);
//printf("%d %d\n",k1,k2);
i1= k1/n;
j1= k1%n;
i2= k2/n;
j2= k2%n;
arr[i1][j1]->endpoint= 1;
arr[i2][j2]->path_number= ptno;
arr[i1][j1]->path_number= ptno;
node *n1, *n2;
n1= arr[i1][j1];
n2= arr[i2][j2];
n1= findset(n1);
n2= findset(n2);
setunion(n1, n2);
while(1) {
i1= i2;
j1= j2;
k1= (i1*n)+j1;
k2= valid_next(k1,n,arr);
if(k2==-1) {
arr[i1][j1]->endpoint= 1;
break;
}
i2=k2/n;
j2=k2%n;
arr[i2][j2]->path_number= ptno;
node *n1, *n2;
n1= arr[i1][j1];
n2= arr[i2][j2];
n1= findset(n1);
n2= findset(n2);
setunion(n1,n2);
}
return 1;
}
void printtable(node ***arr, int n) {
int i,j;
printf("Table to be solved:\n");
for(i=0;i<n;i++) {
for(j=0;j<n;j++) {
if(arr[i][j]->endpoint ==1){
if(arr[i][j]->path_number/10==0)
printf("| %d |",arr[i][j]->path_number);
else
printf("| %d|",arr[i][j]->path_number);
} else if(arr[i][j]->path_number==0)
printf("| X |");
else
printf("| |");
}
printf("\n");
}
printf("\n\nThe solution to the above table:\n");
for(i=0;i<n;i++) {
for(j=0;j<n;j++) {
if(arr[i][j]->path_number != 0){
if(arr[i][j]->path_number/10==0)
printf("| %d |",arr[i][j]->path_number);
else
printf("| %d|",arr[i][j]->path_number);
} else
printf("| X |");
}
printf("\n");
}
}
int main(void) {
srand((unsigned int) time (NULL));
int i, j;
int ct = 1;
int n = 7;
node*** pointers= (node ***)malloc(n*sizeof(node **));
for (i=0; i<n; i++)
pointers[i] = (node **)malloc(n*sizeof(node *));
initboard(pointers, n);
while(1) {
i = addpath(pointers, n, ct);
if (i==0) {
break;
} else {
ct++;
}
}
printtable(pointers,n);
return 0;
}
Updated on 02-Jul-2020 05:37:51