PushPush is NP-Hard in 3D

We prove that a particular pushing-blocks puzzle is intractable in 3D. The puzzle, inspired by the game PushPush, consists of unit square blocks on an integer lattice. An agent may push blocks (but never pull them) in attempting to move between given start and goal positions. In the PushPush version, the agent can only push one block at a time, and moreover, each block, when pushed, slides the maximal extent of its free range. We prove this version is NP-hard in 3D by reduction from SAT. The corresponding problem in 2D remains open

A Relationship Between Problem Solving Ability and Students' Mathematical Thinking

This research have a purpose to know is there an influence of problem solving abilty to students mathematical thinking, and to know how strong problem solving ability affect students mathematical thinking. This research used descriptive quantitative method, which a population is all of students that taking discrete mathematics courses both in department of Information Systems and department of mathematics education. Based on the results of data analysis showed that there are an influence of problem solving ability to students mathematical thinking either at department of mathematics education or at department of information systems. In this study, it was found that the influence of problem solving ability to students mathematical thinking which take place at mathematics education department is stonger than at information system department. This is because, at mathematics education department, problem-solving activities more often performed in courses than at department of information system. Almost 75% of existing courses in department of mathematics education involve problem solving to the objective of courses, meanwhile, in the department of information systems, there are only 10% of these courses. As a result, mathematics education department student's are better trained in problem solving than information system department students. So, to improve students' mathematical thinking, its would be better, at fisrtly enhance the problem solving ability

Solving Robbin's problem

In this report the numerical integration of ellipticpartial differential equations under Robbin's boundaryconditions is attempted by means of the Extrapolatedform of the Alternating Direction Implicit methods.A set of varying extrapolation parameters is determinedalong with Douglas' cycle of acceleration parameters anda comparison between the above two sets of iterationparameters is performed

Creative Problem Solving

[Excerpt] Sometimes solutions to difficult problems are simple, if you think creatively. Here are three true stories of how stewards used their creativity to resolve workplace problems

Unlocking Undergraduate Problem Solving

It is difficult to find good problems for undergraduates. In this article, we explore an interesting problem that can be used in virtually any mathematics course. We then offer natural generalizations, state and prove some related results, and ultimately end with several open problems suitable for undergraduate research. Finally, we attempt to shed some light on what makes a problem interesting

Problem Solving Approach

Problem is something that we can never get rid of, how much we try and howmany anticipatory actions we take. Therefore, to deal with problems in our everyday life, every project implementation is to solve the problem as and when required. In this article we will try and study about problems and the techniques and methods by which we can solve it or mitigate the situation. Again it is worthy to mention as a prelude and also to conclude that problem solving is an individual skill and it therefore varies from person to person and from situation to situation and there exist no thumb rule to redress ay problem as a generalized rule. By the end of this article, we will try and develop certain tools by which we may approach a problematic situation before redressing the problem

What Makes A Court Problem-Solving: Universal Performance Indicators for Problem-Solving Justice

This report identifies a set of universal performance indicators for specialized "problem-solving courts" and related experiments in problem-solving justice. Traditional performance indicators related to caseload and processing efficiency can assist court managers in monitoring case flow, assigning cases to judges, and adhering to budgetary and statutory due process guidelines. Yet, these indicators are ultimately limited in scope. Faced with the recent explosion of problem solving courts and other experiments seeking to address the underlying problems of litigants, victims, and communities, there is an urgent need to complement traditional court performance indicators with ones of a problem-solving nature. With funding from the State Justice Institute (SJI), the Center for Court Innovation conducted an investigation designed to achieve three purposes. The first was to establish a set of universal performance indicators against which to judge the effectiveness of specialized problem-solving courts, of which there are currently more than 3,000 nationwide. The second purpose was to develop performance indicators specific to each of the four major problem-solving court models: drug, mental health, domestic violence, and community courts. The third purpose was to assist traditional court managers by establishing a more limited set of indicators, designed to capture problem-solving activity throughout the courthouse, not only within a specialized court context