Programming for the Puzzled

Puzzle 4: Please Do Break the Crystal

Given a set of identical balls, you need to discover how high you can climb and drop a ball without the ball breaking. This video describes the algorithm and associated program to solve this problem while minimizing the number of required drops.

Puzzle Description

• Please Do Break The Crystal (PDF)

Python Code

• balls.py (PY)

Assignment

• Do one or more of the exercises in the Please Do Break the Crystal puzzle.

Solution

• balls-exercise1.py (PY)

Programming Constructs and Algorithmic Paradigms Covered in this Puzzle

• Break statements
• Radix representations