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Backtracking 1

Backtracking is an algorithmic technique for solving problems by incrementally building candidates to the solutions, and abandoning each partial candidate ("backtracking") as soon as it is determined that the candidate cannot possibly be completed to a valid solution. The document provides definitions of backtracking and describes how it works using the 8-Queens problem as an example. It outlines the formal representation of the problem as an n-tuple, defines the criterion function, and explains how backtracking minimizes test cases by pruning search spaces and backtracking to previous states when no solution is found.

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54 views18 pages

Backtracking 1

Backtracking is an algorithmic technique for solving problems by incrementally building candidates to the solutions, and abandoning each partial candidate ("backtracking") as soon as it is determined that the candidate cannot possibly be completed to a valid solution. The document provides definitions of backtracking and describes how it works using the 8-Queens problem as an example. It outlines the formal representation of the problem as an n-tuple, defines the criterion function, and explains how backtracking minimizes test cases by pruning search spaces and backtracking to previous states when no solution is found.

Uploaded by

RATNESHWAR 20BAI1192
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Backtracking

Definition
• According to Wiki

Backtracking can be defined as a general algorithmic


technique that considers searching every possible
combination in order to solve a computational
problem.
Practical Example – Maze Problem
Formal Notion of Backtracking
• Desired Solution is represented as an 𝑛 −
𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒆 (𝒗𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓) denoted by (𝒙𝟏, 𝒙𝟐 , 𝒙𝟑 , …, 𝒙𝒏 )
where each 𝑥𝑖 are chosen from some finite set 𝑆𝑖 .

• Define a criterion function 𝑷(𝒙𝟏, 𝒙𝟐 , 𝒙𝟑 , …, 𝒙𝒏).

• Aim is to seek some or all of the vectors (𝑥1, 𝑥2, 𝑥3,


…, 𝑥 𝑛 ) that maximize / minimize / satisfy 𝑃(𝑥1, 𝑥2,
𝑥3, …, 𝑥 𝑛 ).
Backtracking approach
• Brute Force approach
– tests all the vectors to find those
vectors that satisfy 𝑃.
• Backtracking
– Minimizes the test cases by pruning search if a
solution that satisfies 𝑃 cannot be found further.
– Traces back to the most previous state and
searches an alternative path for a possible
solution vector.
8-Queens Problem
Problem Definition

Given an (8 × 8) chess board, the problem is to


place 8 Queens on the board so that no two
Queens attack each other, (i.e.) no two Queens
are on the same row, same column or same
diagonal.
8-Queens Problem – Formal Definition
• Let (𝑖, 𝑗) represent a grid of the chess board
where, 𝑖, 𝑗 = 1,2, … , 8.
• Assume each queen 𝑄𝑖 is to be placed on
the
𝑖 𝑡 ℎ row. Here, 𝑖 = 1,2, … , 8.
• All solutions of the 8-Queens problem can
therefore be represented as a vector𝑃(𝑥1 ,
𝑥2 ,
𝑥 3, …, 𝑥8) where 𝑥𝑖 represents the column in
𝑡ℎ
Example of a Solution space
𝑄1
𝑄2
𝑄3
𝑄4

(𝒙𝟏 , 𝒙𝟐 , 𝒙𝟑 ,𝒙𝟒 ) = (𝟐, 𝟒, 𝟏,


𝟑)
How Backtracking works in 4-Queens
1 1 1

2 2

- Not possible to place the 3rd Queen


- Backtrack to the previous state

Note that a state refers to the board with current sub-set of Queens placed on the board.
1 1 1

2 2

2
- We are unable to place the 4𝑡ℎQueen
3
- Backtracking to displace the 3𝑟 𝑑 Queen
1 1 1

2 2

- Note that Queen 3 cannot be placed in either (3,3 or (3,4)


- Backtrack to the parent node.
1 1

- Note that all possible positions of Queen 2 have been explored


- Backtrack to the parent node.
1 1 1

2 2

1
2

4
Recursive Backtracking algorithm
procedure NQueens(𝑛, 𝑘)
integer X[1…n]
for 𝑙 ≔ 1 to 𝑛 do
if ( 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒(𝑘, 𝑙)) then
{
𝑋[𝑘] = 𝑙;
if (𝑘 = 𝑛) then
print 𝑋[𝑙], 𝑙 = 1,2,
…,𝑛
else
NQueens(𝑛, 𝑘 + 1);
}
Backtracking algorithm Contd..
procedure Place 𝑘, 𝑙
// Let (𝑗, 𝑋[𝑗]) represent the 𝑗 𝑡 ℎ Queen in
the
𝑋[𝑗]𝑡 ℎ column for 𝑗 = 1, 2, … , 𝑘 − 1.
forif𝑗 (≔(X[𝑗]
1 to=𝑘 𝑖)
− or
1 do
(𝑋 𝑗 = |𝑗 − 𝑘|) )
−𝑙
return false;
return
true;
Efficiency (𝑛!)
With n=4, T(n) = T(4) = 4! = 24
Practice Problem
Consider an (𝑛 × 𝑛) chess board where (𝑖, 𝑗)
represents a grid on the chess board. The
problem is to place several queens on the board
so that each grid (𝑖, 𝑗) is covered/attacked/seen
by at least one queen. Write a recursive
backtracking algorithm to minimize the number
of queens required to cover all the grids.
Reference
s
• Cormen, Thomas H.; Leirson, Charles E.; Rivest,
Ronald L.; Stein, Clifford (2009) Introduction to
Algorithms (3rd ed.). MIT Press and McGraw-Hill.

• Ellis Horowitz, Sartaj Sahni: Fundamentals of


Computer Algorithms. Computer Science
Press 1978
•

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