Graphs and Boards

Algorithmically Speaking - #6: Exploring how to model board games as graph problems.

Hello there!

After three weeks of learning the basics of graphs, I think it is time to show you examples of how we can translate real-life problems to the graph theory domain.

This will be the last of a series of posts introducing the basic concepts of graph theory before we dive into topics such as traversals, and finding cycles, among others.

Here’s a summary of what we have covered in the previous editions:

1. Introduction to the concepts of nodes, edges, and connectivity.

2. Defining what are neighbors, degrees, and colorings in graphs.

3. How to represent graphs in a computer program.

Today, we will learn about practical examples of how to use graphs in real life. For that, we are going to see examples of “games” that are played on boards. They might seem unrelated to graphs, but the truth is that they are more closely related than you might think.

At the end of the post, you will find some algorithmic challenges so you can try and apply some of the topics that I will explain today. Feel free to …