According To Math, Candy Crush Is Really Hard
Australian scientist, Toby Walsh confirms that Candy Crush is really hard. Walsh and the research center in Sydney, Australia, NICTA, discovered that the game belongs to a class of mathematical problems known as “NP-Hard”
Candy Crush is not alone in this category though, other games that have been considered “NP-Hard” are Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.
Math problems that are considered “NP-Hard”, means that finding the actual solution is very difficult. The game that has attracted over 93 million players, features a simple concept: players are given a board filled with candy where they need to make three-match combinations, vertically or horizontally. However, each level has different requirements to pass, such as ingredients to bring down, candies to collect, etc.
In math, a “P Problem” refers to a puzzle that is easily solved. “NP” problems can only be solved with a computer and are much more difficult. Not only is Candy Crush considered “NP-Hard” but also “NP-Complete”, which is a string of “NP-Hard”. Walsh found that the ‘variables and possible outcomes for each level were so high only a computer would be able to process the information’. A common example of an “NP-Complete” problem is the ‘Traveling Salesman Problem’ that many of us may have learned about in different math classes.
In order to determine how that game is classified, Toby Walsh constructed a generalized version of the game. He wanted to find out whether or not it was possible to find a sequence of swaps using a board that was unrestricted in size. The formula that was tested was to determine whether or not it was possible to create a sequence of swaps that obtained a specific score. He determined that the possible outcomes were so high only a computer could handle it, giving it the “NP-Complete” classification. Walsh concluded that:
“the fact that Candy Crush is such a hard puzzle to solve may be one of the reasons that the game is so addicting, and why it has such a mass appeal.”
Featured Image Via: www.polygon.com
