Publisher Description

• Aimed at both working programmers who are applying for a job where puzzles are an integral part of the interview, as well as techies who just love a good puzzle, this book offers a cache of exciting puzzles
• Features a new series of puzzles, never before published, called elimination puzzles that have a pedagogical aim of helping the reader solve an entire class of Sudoku-like puzzles
• Provides the tools to solve the puzzles by hand and computer
• The first part of each chapter presents a puzzle; the second part shows readers how to solve several classes of puzzles algorithmically; the third part asks the reader to solve a mystery involving codes, puzzles, and geography
• Comes with a unique bonus: if readers actually solve the mystery, they have a chance to win a prize, which will be promoted on wrox.com!

Back Cover

Puzzles for Programmers and Pros Solving puzzles demands a mindset that starts with a vulnerable openness followed by a rigorous drive to find a solution. Whether you're preparing for a programming job interview or just like a challenge, this book takes you on a tour of problem-solving techniques so you can dramatically improve your skills. You'll learn how to conquer simple elimination puzzles like Sudoku and how to apply heuristic techniques to far more complex problems. Dr. Shasha provides you with the tools to solve several classes of puzzles by handand computer. These include scheduling,strategic, geometric, and probabilistic puzzles. You'll also find a mystery involving codes, bank accounts, and geography that you can solve for the chance to win a prize. The approaches and techniques in this book will help you solve the kind of application puzzles the real world may throw at you. What you will learn from this book

• How to expand your puzzle-solving abilities and tackle new challenges
• Proven steps that will help you quickly progress from basic puzzles to a more advanced level
• How to prepare for various types of puzzles presented during a programming interview
• Techniques for determining the best solution to a puzzle
• Methods for solving puzzles using decryption and combinatorics

Who this book is for This book is for programmers who need to brush up on their puzzle-solving skills as they prepare for the programming job interview. It is also for anyone who love puzzles and challenges. Wrox guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

Flap

Puzzles for Programmers and Pros Solving puzzles demands a mindset that starts with a vulnerable openness followed by a rigorous drive to find a solution. Whether you're preparing for a programming job interview or just like a challenge, this book takes you on a tour of problem-solving techniques so you can dramatically improve your skills. You'll learn how to conquer simple elimination puzzles like Sudoku and how to apply heuristic techniques to far more complex problems. Dr. Shasha provides you with the tools to solve several classes of puzzles by handand computer. These include scheduling,strategic, geometric, and probabilistic puzzles. You'll also find a mystery involving codes, bank accounts, and geography that you can solve for the chance to win a prize. The approaches and techniques in this book will help you solve the kind of application puzzles the real world may throw at you. What you will learn from this book How to expand your puzzle-solving abilities and tackle new challenges Proven steps that will help you quickly progress from basic puzzles to a more advanced level How to prepare for various types of puzzles presented during a programming interview Techniques for determining the best solution to a puzzle Methods for solving puzzles using decryption and combinatorics Who this book is for This book is for programmers who need to brush up on their puzzle-solving skills as they prepare for the programming job interview. It is also for anyone who love puzzles and challenges. Wrox guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

Author Biography

Dr. Dennis Shasha is a professor of Mathematical Sciences in the Department of Computer Science at NYU. Along with research and teaching in biological computing, pattern recognition, database tuning , cryptographic file systems, and the like, Dennis is well-known for his mathematical puzzle column for Dr. Dobbs whose readers are very sharp and his Puzzling Adventures Column for the Scientific American. His puzzle writing has given birth to fictional books about a mathematical detective named Dr. Ecco. Dr. Shasha has also co-authored numerous highly technical books. Dennis speaks often at conferences and is a tireless self-promoter in the world of "mensa-like" puzzles.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v Introduction xi Part I: Mind Games 1 We can't all be winners. 3 Sweet Tooth 4 Byzantine Bettors 6 A Touch of Luck 8 Information Gain 10 Reach for the Sky! 12 Pork Politics 14 Social Games 15 Escape Management 19 Flu Math 21 Imagination rules... 23 Whipping Ice 24 Optimal Jargon 29 Using Your Marbles 31 Flipping Colors 33 Scheduling Tradition 34 Fractal Biology 35 As Easy as Pie 37 Getting on the right side of luck 41 Lucky Roulette 42 Legal Logic 44 The Box Chip Game 47 Feedback Dividends 49 What are you thinking? 53 Number Clues 54 Mind Games 56 Refuse and Reveal 59 A Biting Maze 61 Mad Mix 63 Doing more with less 65 Dig That! 66 Preferential Romance 68 No Change for the Holidays 71 Quiet in the Depths 73 Solutions 74 Solution to Sweet Tooth 74 Solution to Byzantine Bettors 74 Solution to A Touch of Luck 76 Solution to Information Gain 78 Solution to Reach for the Sky! 78 Solution to Pork Politics 79 Solution to Social Games 80 Solution to Escape Management 81 Solution to Flu Math 83 Solution to Whipping Ice 84 Solution to Optimal Jargon 86 Solution to Using Your Marbles 88 Solution to Flipping Colors 89 Solution to Scheduling Tradition 90 Solution to Fractal Biology 91 Solution to As Easy as Pie 94 Solution to Lucky Roulette 96 Solution to Legal Logic 96 Solution to The Box Chip Game 97 Solution to Feedback Dividends 102 Solution to Number Clues 103 Solution to Mind Games 104 Solution to Refuse and Reveal 108 Solution to A Biting Maze 110 Solution to Mad Mix 112 Solution to Dig That! 113 Solution to Preferential Romance 116 Solution to No Change for the Holidays 117 Solution to Quiet in the Depths 118 Part II: The Secret of the Puzzle 121 Order the Ages 126 Urban Planning 128 Solution to Urban Planning 129 Finding a Schedule That Works 131 Solution to Finding a Schedule That Works 132 Picturing the Treasure 133 Solution to Picturing the Treasure 135 Sudoku 138 Solution to Sudoku 146 Number Encoding 147 Solution to Number Encoding 149 Selective Greed 150 Solution to Selective Greed 155 Sweet Packs 156 Solution to Sweet Packs 158 Revisiting a Traveling Salesman 159 Solution to Revisiting a Traveling Salesman 163 Overloaded Scheduling and Freezing Crystals 164 Solution to Overloaded Scheduling and Freezing Crystals 170 Wordsnakes 171 Solution to Wordsnakes 173 Maximal Friends 174 Solution to Maximal Friends 176 Winning at the Slots 177 Solution to Winning at the Slots 179 Understanding Dice 181 Solution to Understanding Dice 183 Bait and Switch 184 Solution to Bait and Switch 186 Part III: Faithful Foes 189 Index 221

Long Description

Puzzles for Programmers and Pros Solving puzzles demands a mindset that starts with a vulnerable openness followed by a rigorous drive to find a solution. Whether youre preparing for a programming job interview or just like a challenge, this book takes you on a tour of problem-solving techniques so you can dramatically improve your skills. Youll learn how to conquer simple elimination puzzles like Sudoku and how to apply heuristic techniques to far more complex problems. Dr. Shasha provides you with the tools to solve several classes of puzzles by handand computer. These include scheduling,strategic, geometric, and probabilistic puzzles. Youll also find a mystery involving codes, bank accounts, and geography that you can solve for the chance to win a prize. The approaches and techniques in this book will help you solve the kind of application puzzles the real world may throw at you. What you will learn from this book How to expand your puzzle-solving abilities and tackle new challenges Proven steps that will help you quickly progress from basic puzzles to a more advanced level How to prepare for various types of puzzles presented during a programming interview Techniques for determining the best solution to a puzzle Methods for solving puzzles using decryption and combinatorics Who this book is for This book is for programmers who need to brush up on their puzzle-solving skills as they prepare for the programming job interview. It is also for anyone who love puzzles and challenges. Wrox guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

Details