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Related Experiment Videos

Solving combinatorial problems: the 15-puzzle.

Zygmunt Pizlo1, Zheng Li

  • 1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2081, USA. pizlo@psych.purdue.edu

Memory & Cognition
|February 25, 2006
PubMed
Summary
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Human subjects solve the 15-puzzle and its variants by systematically building a solution path, not through extensive search. A computational model using a pyramid algorithm mirrors this low-complexity cognitive process.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Artificial Intelligence

Background:

  • The 15-puzzle is a classic combinatorial problem used to study human problem-solving.
  • Understanding the cognitive mechanisms behind solving such puzzles is crucial for cognitive science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how humans solve the 15-puzzle and its variants.
  • To develop a computational model of the cognitive processes involved in solving these puzzles.

Main Methods:

  • Human subjects were tested on the 15-puzzle and its variants.
  • A computational model employing a pyramid algorithm was developed based on observed human performance.
  • The model's performance was compared against human subject performance.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Subjects reliably solved the puzzles by systematically building a solution path.
  • Human problem-solving did not rely heavily on state-space search or distance metrics.
  • The computational model demonstrated performance highly similar to human subjects.
  • The underlying cognitive mechanisms exhibit very low computational complexity.

Conclusions:

  • Human strategy for the 15-puzzle involves systematic path-building rather than complex search.
  • A pyramid algorithm effectively models the cognitive processes observed in human puzzle-solving.
  • The findings suggest efficient, low-complexity cognitive strategies for combinatorial problems.