- Add clear project description and features - Improve installation and usage instructions - Add output format documentation - Include project structure - Add algorithm details section - Fix grammar and formatting - Add GraphViz visualization instructions Co-Authored-By: Claude Haiku 4.5 <[email protected]> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01PgzMA4na39RHxCyPHGSPKs
82 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
82 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
# Knight's Shortest Path Solver
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A Python-based algorithm that finds all shortest paths for a knight on an empty chessboard.
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## Problem Description
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Given two positions on a standard 8x8 chessboard, this program computes:
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- **All minimum-length move sequences** to get a knight from the starting position to the destination
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- **A graph visualization** (in GraphViz/DOT format) showing all shortest paths
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## Features
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- Finds all optimal solutions (not just one)
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- Generates GraphViz DOT files for visualization
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- Containerized execution for consistency
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- Configurable output naming
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## Prerequisites
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- Docker (for containerized execution)
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- Python 3.7+ (for running directly)
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- GraphViz (optional, for rendering DOT files)
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## Installation & Usage
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### Using Docker (Recommended)
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Build and run the algorithm:
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```bash
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./run.sh build <dest_x> <dest_y> <output_name>
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```
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Example:
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```bash
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./run.sh build 4 5 knight_paths
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```
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Or use an existing image:
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```bash
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./run.sh run <dest_x> <dest_y> <output_name>
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```
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### Parameters
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- `<dest_x>`: X-coordinate of destination (0-7)
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- `<dest_y>`: Y-coordinate of destination (0-7)
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- `<output_name>`: Base name for output files (no extension)
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### Output
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The program generates:
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- `<output_name>.txt`: All shortest paths in text format
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- `<output_name>.dot`: GraphViz file for visualization
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To visualize the graph:
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```bash
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dot -Tpng <output_name>.dot -o <output_name>.png
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```
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## Project Structure
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```
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├── README.md
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├── run.sh # Build and execution script
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├── Dockerfile # Container configuration
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├── src/
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│ └── knight_solver.py # Main algorithm
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└── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
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```
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## Algorithm Details
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The solver uses BFS (Breadth-First Search) to explore all possible knight moves, ensuring all minimum-length paths are found. It then constructs a directed graph of these paths and outputs the results in both human-readable and GraphViz formats.
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## License
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See LICENSE file for details.
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