Nondeterministic Algorithms

  • Authors:
  • Robert W. Floyd

  • Affiliations:
  • Department of Computer Science, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Venue:
  • Journal of the ACM (JACM)
  • Year:
  • 1967

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Abstract

Programs to solve combinatorial search problems may often be simply written by using multiple-valued functions. Such programs, although impossible to execute directly on conventional computers, may be converted in a mechanical way into conventional backtracking programs. The process is illustrated with algorithms to find all solutions to the eight queens problem on the chessboard, and to find all simple cycles in a network.