Day 16: Reindeer Maze

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FAQ

  • @[email protected]
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    13 hours ago

    Python

    Part 1: Run Dijkstra’s algorithm to find shortest path.

    I chose to represent nodes using the location (i, j) as well as the direction dir faced by the reindeer.
    Initially I tried creating the complete adjacency graph but that lead to max recursion so I ended up populating graph for only the nodes I was currently exploring.

    Part 2: Track paths while performing Dijkstra’s algorithm.

    First, I modified the algorithm to look through neighbors with equal cost along with the ones with lesser cost, so that it would go through all shortest paths.
    Then, I keep track of the list of previous nodes for every node explored.
    Finally, I use those lists to run through the paths backwards, taking note of all unique locations.

    Code:
    import os
    
    # paths
    here = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
    filepath = os.path.join(here, "input.txt")
    
    # read input
    with open(filepath, mode="r", encoding="utf8") as f:
        data = f.read()
    
    from collections import defaultdict
    from dataclasses import dataclass
    import heapq as hq
    import math
    
    # up, right, down left
    DIRECTIONS = [(-1, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0), (0, -1)]
    
    
    # Represent a node using its location and the direction
    @dataclass(frozen=True)
    class Node:
        i: int
        j: int
        dir: int
    
    
    maze = data.splitlines()
    m, n = len(maze), len(maze[0])
    
    # we always start from bottom-left corner (facing east)
    start_node = Node(m - 2, 1, 1)
    # we always end in top-right corner (direction doesn't matter)
    end_node = Node(1, n - 2, -1)
    
    # the graph will be updated lazily because it is too much processing
    #   to completely populate it beforehand
    graph = defaultdict(list)
    # track nodes whose all edges have been explored
    visited = set()
    # heap to choose next node to explore
    # need to add id as middle tuple element so that nodes dont get compared
    min_heap = [(0, id(start_node), start_node)]
    # min distance from start_node to node so far
    # missing values are treated as math.inf
    min_dist = {}
    min_dist[start_node] = 0
    # keep track of all previous nodes for making path
    prev_nodes = defaultdict(list)
    
    
    # utility method for debugging (prints the map)
    def print_map(current_node, prev_nodes):
        pns = set((n.i, n.j) for n in prev_nodes)
        for i in range(m):
            for j in range(n):
                if i == current_node.i and j == current_node.j:
                    print("X", end="")
                elif (i, j) in pns:
                    print("O", end="")
                else:
                    print(maze[i][j], end="")
            print()
    
    
    # Run Dijkstra's algo
    while min_heap:
        cost_to_node, _, node = hq.heappop(min_heap)
        if node in visited:
            continue
        visited.add(node)
    
        # early exit in the case we have explored all paths to the finish
        if node.i == end_node.i and node.j == end_node.j:
            # assign end so that we know which direction end was reached by
            end_node = node
            break
    
        # update adjacency graph from current node
        di, dj = DIRECTIONS[node.dir]
        if maze[node.i + di][node.j + dj] != "#":
            moved_node = Node(node.i + di, node.j + dj, node.dir)
            graph[node].append((moved_node, 1))
        for x in range(3):
            rotated_node = Node(node.i, node.j, (node.dir + x + 1) % 4)
            graph[node].append((rotated_node, 1000))
    
        # explore edges
        for neighbor, cost in graph[node]:
            cost_to_neighbor = cost_to_node + cost
            # The following condition was changed from > to >= because we also want to explore
            #   paths with the same cost, not just better cost
            if min_dist.get(neighbor, math.inf) >= cost_to_neighbor:
                min_dist[neighbor] = cost_to_neighbor
                prev_nodes[neighbor].append(node)
                # need to add id as middle tuple element so that nodes dont get compared
                hq.heappush(min_heap, (cost_to_neighbor, id(neighbor), neighbor))
    
    print(f"Part 1: {min_dist[end_node]}")
    
    # PART II: Run through the path backwards, making note of all coords
    
    visited = set([start_node])
    path_locs = set([(start_node.i, start_node.j)])  # all unique locations in path
    stack = [end_node]
    
    while stack:
        node = stack.pop()
        if node in visited:
            continue
        visited.add(node)
    
        path_locs.add((node.i, node.j))
    
        for prev_node in prev_nodes[node]:
            stack.append(prev_node)
    
    print(f"Part 2: {len(path_locs)}")
    
    
    • @[email protected]
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      210 hours ago

      prev_nodes[neighbor].append(node)

      I think you’re adding too many neighbours to the prev_nodes here potentially. At the time you explore the edge, you’re not yet sure if the path to the edge’s target via the current node will be the cheapest.

      • @[email protected]
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        2 hours ago

        Good catch! IIRC, only when a node is selected from the min heap can we guarantee that the cost to that node will not go any lower. This definitely seems like a bug, but I still got the correct answer for the samples and my input somehow ¯\_(ツ)_/¯