GeeksforGeeks Custom Search

A computer science portal for geeks

Practice GATE CS Placements

Videos Contribute

Login/Register

Backtracking | Set 2 (Rat in a Maze)

We have discussed Backtracking and Knight’s tour problem in Set 1. Let us discuss R
at in a Maze as
another example problem that can be solved using Backtracking.

A Maze is given as N*N binary matrix of blocks where source block is

the upper left most block i.e.,
maze[0][0] and destination block is lower rightmost block i.e., maze[N1][N1]. A rat
starts from source
and has to reach destination. The rat can move only in two directions: forward and
down.
In the maze matrix, 0 means the block is dead end and 1 means the block can be used
in the path from
source to destination. Note that this is a simple version of the
typical Maze problem. For example, a
more complex version can be that the rat can move in 4 directions and a more comple
x version can be
with limited number of moves.

Following is an example maze.

Gray blocks are dead ends (value = 0).

Following is binary matrix representation of the above maze.

{1, 0, 0, 0}
{1, 1, 0, 1}
{0, 1, 0, 0}
{1, 1, 1, 1}

Following is maze with highlighted solution path.

Following is the solution matrix (output of program) for the above input matrx.

{1, 0, 0, 0}
{1, 1, 0, 0}
{0, 1, 0, 0}
{0, 1, 1, 1}
All enteries in solution path are marked as 1.

Recommended: Please solve it on "PRACTICE" first, before moving on to

the
solution.

Naive Algorithm
The Naive Algorithm is to generate all paths from source to destination
and one by one check if the
generated path satisfies the constraints.

while there are untried paths

{
generate the next path
if this path has all blocks as 1
{
print this path;
}
}

Backtrackng Algorithm

If destination is reached
print the solution matrix
Else
a) Mark current cell in solution matrix as 1.
b) Move forward in horizontal direction and recursively check if this
move leads to a solution.
c) If the move chosen in the above step doesn't lead to a solution
then move down and check if this move leads to a solution.
 d) If none of the above solutions work then unmark this cell as 0
(BACKTRACK) and return false.

Implementation of Backtracking solution

C/C++
/* C/C++ program to solve Rat in a Maze problem using
backtracking */
#include<stdio.h>

// Maze size
#define N 4

bool solveMazeUtil(int maze[N][N], int x, int y, int sol[N][N]);

/* A utility function to print solution matrix sol[N][N] */

void printSolution(int sol[N][N])
{
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++)
{
for (int j = 0; j < N; j++)
printf(" %d ", sol[i][j]);
printf("\n");
}
}

/* A utility function to check if x,y is valid index for N*N maze */

bool isSafe(int maze[N][N], int x, int y)
{
// if (x,y outside maze) return false
if(x >= 0 && x < N && y >= 0 && y < N && maze[x][y] == 1)
return true;

return false;
}

/* This function solves the Maze problem using Backtracking. It mainly

uses solveMazeUtil() to solve the problem. It returns false if no
path is possible, otherwise return true and prints the path in the
form of 1s. Please note that there may be more than one solutions,
this function prints one of the feasible solutions.*/
bool solveMaze(int maze[N][N])
{
int sol[N][N] = { {0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0}
};

if(solveMazeUtil(maze, 0, 0, sol) == false)

{
printf("Solution doesn't exist");
return false;
}

printSolution(sol);
return true;
}
/* A recursive utility function to solve Maze problem */
bool solveMazeUtil(int maze[N][N], int x, int y, int sol[N][N])
{
// if (x,y is goal) return true
if(x == N‐1 && y == N‐1)
{
 {
sol[x][y] = 1;
return true;
}

// Check if maze[x][y] is valid

if(isSafe(maze, x, y) == true)
{
// mark x,y as part of solution path
sol[x][y] = 1;

/* Move forward in x direction */

if (solveMazeUtil(maze, x+1, y, sol) == true)
return true;

/* If moving in x direction doesn't give solution then

Move down in y direction */
if (solveMazeUtil(maze, x, y+1, sol) == true)
return true;

/* If none of the above movements work then BACKTRACK:

unmark x,y as part of solution path */
sol[x][y] = 0;
return false;
}

return false;
}

// driver program to test above function

int main()
{
int maze[N][N] = { {1, 0, 0, 0},
{1, 1, 0, 1},
{0, 1, 0, 0},
{1, 1, 1, 1}
};

solveMaze(maze);
return 0;
}
Run on IDE

Java
/* Java program to solve Rat in a Maze problem using
backtracking */

public class RatMaze

{
final int N = 4;

/* A utility function to print solution matrix

sol[N][N] */
void printSolution(int sol[][])
{
for (int i = 0; i < N; i++)
 {
for (int j = 0; j < N; j++)
System.out.print(" " + sol[i][j] +
" ");
System.out.println();
}
}

/* A utility function to check if x,y is valid

bool isSafeLocation_RateInMaze(int x, int y)
{
/* A utility function to check if x,y is valid
int maze[N][N] = { { 1,0,0,0 },{ 1,1,0,1 },{ 0,1,0,0 },{ 1,1,1,1 } };
index for N*N maze */
return x >= 0 && x < N && y >= 0 && y < N && (maze[y][x] == 1);// remember
maze is array where x is y
boolean isSafe(int maze[][], int x, int y)
and
{is x
y
} // if (x,y outside maze) return false
bool RatInAMaze(int currentX, int currentY, int**& solution, int moveNumber)
return (x >= 0 && x < N && y >= 0 &&
{ y < N && maze[x][y] == 1);
if (currentX == N-1 && currentY == N-1)
}
{
return true;
/* This function solves the Maze problem using
Backtracking. It mainly uses solveMazeUtil()
}
to solve the problem. It returns false if no
int xMove[2] = { 1,0 };
path is possible, otherwise return true and
int yMove[2] = { 0,1 };
prints the path in the form of 1s. Please note
for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i)
that there may be more than one solutions, this
{
function prints one of the feasible solutions.*/
int newX = currentX + xMove[i];
boolean solveMaze(int maze[][])
{ int newY = currentY + yMove[i];
if (isSafeLocation_RateInMaze(newX, newY))
int sol[][] = {{0, 0, 0, 0},
{
{0, 0, 0, 0},
solution[newY][newX] = moveNumber; // remember solution is array where
x is y and y is x
{0, 0, 0, 0},
bool correctNextMove = RatInAMaze(newX, newY, solution, moveNumber +
1);
{0, 0, 0, 0}
}; if (correctNextMove)
return true;
if (solveMazeUtil(maze, 0, 0, sol) == false)
if (!correctNextMove)
{ solution[newY][newX] = -1;// remember solution is array where x is
y and y is x
System.out.print("Solution doesn't exist");
}
return false;
}
}
return false;
} printSolution(sol);
void RatInAMaze()
return true;
{ }
int** solution = new int*[N];
for (int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
/* A recursive utility function to solve Maze
problem */
solution[i] = new int[N];
boolean solveMazeUtil(int maze[][], int x, int y,
for (int i = 0; i < N; ++i)
int sol[][])
for (int j = 0; j < N; ++j)
{ solution[i][j] = -1;
// if (x,y is goal) return true
solution[0][0] = 0;
if (x == N ‐ 1 && y == N ‐ 1)
RatInAMaze(0, 0, solution, 1);
{
print(solution);
sol[x][y] = 1;
} return true;
}

// Check if maze[x][y] is valid

if (isSafe(maze, x, y) == true)
{
// mark x,y as part of solution path
sol[x][y] = 1;

/* Move forward in x direction */

if (solveMazeUtil(maze, x + 1, y, sol))
return true;

/* If moving in x direction doesn't give

solution then Move down in y direction */
if (solveMazeUtil(maze, x, y + 1, sol))
return true;

/* If none of the above movements work then

BACKTRACK: unmark x,y as part of solution
path */
sol[x][y] = 0;
return false;
}

return false;
}
 }

public static void main(String args[])

{
RatMaze rat = new RatMaze();
int maze[][] = {{1, 0, 0, 0},
{1, 1, 0, 1},
{0, 1, 0, 0},
{1, 1, 1, 1}
};
rat.solveMaze(maze);
}
}
// This code is contributed by Abhishek Shankhadhar

Run on IDE

Output: The 1 values show the path for rat

1 0 0 0
1 1 0 0
0 1 0 0
0 1 1 1

Below is an extended version of this problem.Count number of ways to reach destinat

ion in a Maze

Please write comments if you find anything incorrect, or you want to share more inf
ormation about the
topic discussed above.

Free Google
Courses Learn
New Digital Skills
Get trained with Google official
courses. Sign up and start your
learning today
learndigital.withgoogle.com
GATE CS Corner Company Wise Coding Practice

Backtracking

Recommended Posts:

Backtracking | Set 3 (N Queen Problem)

Backtracking | Set 1 (The Knight’s tour problem)
Backtracking | Set 4 (Subset Sum)
Backtracking | Set 5 (m Coloring Problem)
Backtracking | Set 7 (Sudoku)

(Login to Rate and Mark)

Average Difficulty : 3.1/5.0

3.1 Based on 76 vote(s) Add to TODO List

Mark as DONE

Writing code in comment? Please use ide.geeksforgeeks.org, generate link and share
the link here.

Load Comments
Share this post!

@geeksforgeeks, Some rights reserved Contact Us! About Us!

Advertise with us! Privacy
Policy