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| Title: | Mathematics at DEC | 
|  | 
| Moderator: | RUSURE::EDP | 
|  | 
| Created: | Mon Feb 03 1986 | 
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 | 
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 | 
| Number of topics: | 2083 | 
| Total number of notes: | 14613 | 
726.0. "Partial Vector Reversals" by COMET2::ROBERTS (Dwayne Roberts) Fri Jul 03 1987 20:19
    Given:
    
    an n-element vector V the elements of which are unique and in some
    known but random order; 
    
    a function F(V,x) which returns an n-element vector with the first x
    elements of V reversed and the remaining elements unchanged. 
    
    Can one determine by examination of the initial state of V what the
    least number of applications of the function F would be required to
    return a vector in ascending order? 
    
    For example, assume the initial state of the 5-element vector V is 
    
    V  = 4 1 2 3 5	F(V ,4)=
     0			   0
    
    V  = 3 2 1 4 5	F(V ,3)=
     1			   1
    
    V  = 1 2 3 4 5
     2
    
    In this example, two applications of F were required and is the
    minimum.  Is it possible to look at the initial vector and determine
    that the minimum is 2?  Is there a strategy to get to the ordered
    vector in the least number of "moves"?
    
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 726.1 | Looks like fun | AKQJ10::YARBROUGH | Why is computing so labor intensive? | Mon Jul 06 1987 09:05 | 2 | 
|  | Interesting question - if an algorithm exists, it would be even more interesting
to see if it could be extended to Rubik's Cube. 
 | 
| 726.2 |  | CLT::GILBERT | eager like a child | Mon Jul 06 1987 14:59 | 1 | 
|  |    See note 425 -- "Flipping stacked disks".
 | 
| 726.3 | Question ...726 | MLCSSE::MILLER |  | Sat Nov 28 1987 22:40 | 2 | 
|  |       Can I apply a iteration solution in order to minimize redundant
    pertubations or am I limited to analytical solutions?
 |