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What Is Backtracking

Backtracking is an algorithmic technique for solving problems incrementally by exploring different options and reverting when reaching dead ends. It is commonly used in scenarios like maze solving and puzzles, and can be categorized into decision, optimization, and enumeration problems. While backtracking is powerful for certain problems, it is often less efficient than other methods like greedy algorithms or dynamic programming due to its exponential time complexity.

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19 views4 pages

What Is Backtracking

Backtracking is an algorithmic technique for solving problems incrementally by exploring different options and reverting when reaching dead ends. It is commonly used in scenarios like maze solving and puzzles, and can be categorized into decision, optimization, and enumeration problems. While backtracking is powerful for certain problems, it is often less efficient than other methods like greedy algorithms or dynamic programming due to its exponential time complexity.

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iu.chan2837
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is Backtracking?

Backtracking is a problem-solving algorithmic technique that involves finding a solution


incrementally by trying different options and undoing them if they lead to a dead end. It
is commonly used in situations where you need to explore multiple possibilities to solve a
problem, like searching for a path in a maze or solving puzzles like Sudoku. When a dead
end is reached, the algorithm backtracks to the previous decision point and explores a
different path until a solution is found or all possibilities have been exhausted.
Backtracking can be defined as a general algorithmic technique that considers searching
every possible combination in order to solve a computational problem.

Basic Terminologies
 Candidate: A candidate is a potential choice or element that can be added to the
current solution.
 Solution: The solution is a valid and complete configuration that satisfies all problem
constraints.
 Partial Solution: A partial solution is an intermediate or incomplete configuration being
constructed during the backtracking process.
 Decision Space: The decision space is the set of all possible candidates or choices at
each decision point.
 Decision Point: A decision point is a specific step in the algorithm where a candidate is
chosen and added to the partial solution.
 Feasible Solution: A feasible solution is a partial or complete solution that adheres to
all constraints.
 Dead End: A dead end occurs when a partial solution cannot be extended without
violating constraints.
 Backtrack: Backtracking involves undoing previous decisions and returning to a prior
decision point.
 Search Space: The search space includes all possible combinations of candidates and
choices.
 Optimal Solution: In optimization problems, the optimal solution is the best possible
solution.
Types of Backtracking Problems
Problems associated with backtracking can be categorized into 3 categories:
 Decision Problems: Here, we search for a feasible solution.
 Optimization Problems: For this type, we search for the best solution.
 Enumeration Problems: We find set of all possible feasible solutions to the problems
of this type.
How does Backtracking works?
As we know backtracking algorithm explores each and every possible path in order to find
a valid solution, this exploration of path can be easily understood via given images:
As shown in the image, “IS” represents the Initial State where the recursion call starts to
find a valid solution.
C : it represents different Checkpoints for recursive calls
TN: it represents the Terminal Nodes where no further recursive calls can be made, these
nodes act as base case of recursion and we determine whether the current solution is valid
or not at this state.
At each Checkpoint, our program makes some decisions and move to other checkpoints
untill it reaches a terminal Node, after determining whether a solution is valid or not, the
program starts to revert back to the checkpoints and try to explore other paths. For
example in the above image TN1…TN5 are the terminal node where the solution is not
acceptable, while TN6 is the state where we found a valid solution.
The back arrows in the images shows backtracking in actions, where we revert the
changes made by some checkpoint.

Determining Backtracking Problems:


Generally every constraint satisfaction problem can be solved using backtracking but, Is it
optimal to use backtracking every time? Turns out NO, there are a vast number of problem
that can be solved using Greedy or Dynamic programming in logarithmic or polynomial
time complexity which is far better than exponential complexity of Backtracking. However
many problems still exists that can only be solved using Backtracking.
To understand whether a problem is Backtracking based or not, let us take a simple
problem:
Problem: Imagine you have 3 closed boxes, among which 2 are empty and 1 has a gold
coin. Your task is to get the gold coin.
Why dynamic programming fails to solve this question: Does opening or closing one
box has any effect on the other box? Turns out NO, each and every box is independent of
each other and opening/closing state of one box can not determine the transition for other
boxes. Hence DP fails.
Why greedy fails to solve this question: Greedy algorithm chooses a local maxima in
order to get global maxima, but in this problem each and every box has equal probability of
having a gold coin i.e 1/3 hence there is no criteria to make a greedy choice.
Why Backtracking works: As discussed already, backtracking algorithm is simply brute
forcing each and every choice, hence we can one by one choose every box to find the gold
coin, If a box is found empty we can close it back which acts as a Backtracking step.
Technically, for backtracking problems:
 The algorithm builds a solution by exploring all possible paths created by the choices in
the problem, this solution begins with an empty set S={}
 Each choice creates a new sub-tree ‘s’ which we add into are set.
 Now there exist two cases:
 S+s is valid set
 S+s is not valid set
 In case the set is valid then we further make choices and repeat the process until a
solution is found, otherwise we backtrack our decision of including ‘s’ and explore other
paths until a solution is found or all the possible paths are exhausted.

Pseudocode for Backtracking


The best way to implement backtracking is through recursion, and all backtracking code
can be summarised as per the given Pseudocode:
void FIND_SOLUTIONS( parameters):
if (valid solution):
store the solution
Return
for (all choice):
if (valid choice):
APPLY (choice)
FIND_SOLUTIONS (parameters)
BACKTRACK (remove choice)
Return

Complexity Analysis of Backtracking


Since backtracking algorithm is purely brute force therefore in terms of time complexity, it
performs very poorly. Generally backtracking can be seen having below mentioned time
complexities:
 Exponential (O(K^N))
 Factorial (O(N!))
These complexities are due to the fact that at each state we have multiple choices due to
which the number of paths increases and sub-trees expand rapidly.

How Backtracking is different from Recursion?


Recursion and Backtracking are related concepts in computer science and programming,
but they are not the same thing. Let’s explore the key differences between them:
Recursion Backtracking

Backtracking always uses recursion to solve


Recursion does not always need backtracking
problems

Solving problems by breaking them into Solving problems with multiple choices and
smaller, similar subproblems and solving them exploring options systematically, backtracking
recursively. when needed.

Controlled by function calls and call stack. Managed explicitly with loops and state.

Applications of Recursion: Tree and Graph Application of Backtracking: N Queen


Recursion Backtracking

Traversal, Towers of Hanoi, Divide and problem, Rat in a Maze problem, Knight’s
Conquer Algorithms, Merge Sort, Quick Sort, Tour Problem, Sudoku solver, and Graph
and Binary Search. coloring problems.

Applications of Backtracking
 Creating smart bots to play Board Games such as Chess.
 Solving mazes and puzzles such as N-Queen problem.
 Network Routing and Congestion Control.
 Decryption
 Text Justification

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