Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2013 - (Page Cover3)

SHUTTERSTOCK knossos games binary tree by tim boester a binary tree is a data structure used in computer science, where each node (numbered) can have a maximum of two child nodes (connected beneath it to the left and right). in this puzzle, you need to transform the binary tree from the starting arrangement to the goal arrangement, using the least number of steps. a step is a single movement from one node to the next, along a connected edge (up or down). You cannot, at any time, step off of the tree nodes or jump to a node that is not a direct child or parent of the current node. in order to change the structure of the tree, you need to pick up pieces of it and carry them around as you take steps. in the example, you move to node 2 in your first step. then you pick up node 4 (and its connected child, node 5) and carry it with you when you take your second step back to node 1. remember that when picking up pieces of the tree, you can only pick up one child (and any children of that child), not the parent, of the node you are currently occupying. the relative orientations of all nodes and connections remain the same while carrying (for example, node 4 will always be connected down right, no matter what its parent node is). nodes must be unobstructed while being moved, and cannot be moved into places where a node is already connected in the same direction, or where two nodes would occupy the same space. solution to Knossos games 20.4 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) trumpet sextet sextet sextet sextet French horn 7) trombone 8) tuba 9) xylophone 10) bass drum 11) tenor saxophone 12) alto saxophone 13) clarinet 14) ﬂute 15) piccolo 16) trumpet Tim Boester is an Assistant Professor in Mathematics Education at Wright State University. www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine imagine 47 http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2013

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2013
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Code Me In
Getting Started With Computational Problem Solving
Coding for Gold
The Computer Science Connection
Magical & Practical
The Creative, Collaborative Universe of Minecraft
Going Mobile
Connecting Students and Cultures Through Technology
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Words With Friends
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2013