Tower of Hanoi
Description
The Tower of Hanoi was
invented by French Mathematician Edouard Lucas in 1883. It is also referred to as "Tower of Brahma" or "End of
the World Puzzle". This game is very challenging and requires lots of concentration. It is fun for anyone to
play.
Educational Use
The Tower of Hanoi is a fantastic educational game. It helps
kids with problem solving skills, strategy skills, and recognizing patterns. If a child has played the game as well
as possible, they should have discovered that the minimum number of moves it takes to win for 1,2,3,4 disks are
1,3,7,15. In order to find the number of moves for 4 disks, find a pattern relating the number of disks to the
minimum number of moves it takes to win the game. Can you recognize a pattern. (Hint try adding one to each of
the numbers) Recognize it now? Can you discover an equation to solve for n number of disks?
Can you fill in the rest of the table?
*Try using this equation 2^n-1=M where n=the number of disks and M=number of moves
How to Play
The purpose of the game is to get the 3 disks stacked up on the right-most
peg. However, two rules apply: you may only move one disk at a time and you may only place a disk on an empty
peg or on top of a larger disk. You may not place a larger disk on a smaller disk. To move a disk, click on
the disk you would like to move and drag it onto the peg you want.
Play Tower of Hanoi
Links
CS255 Computers in El Ed Home Page
Northern Michigan University
P1 Homepage
Links Page
Bobbie Williams: Bowillia@nmu.edu