| The Trip around the Moon |
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| Method 2: I then noticed that you could deposit two cans of fuel (one at LA and one at LJ) with only using one fueling.
PAJ = [DA, G, DJ, 0] = 3 where G is passing through the base and picking up another can of fuel without refueling the car (don't forget about the initial fueling). I saw enormous potential for this method, as you could easily save fuel by placing two cans with one trip instead of two with two. You�d also be able to utilize that feature of this method by simply passing through the base and picking up a can and going to the other side while placing cans that were further out, as shown below. PBI = PAJ, PAJ, [RA, DB, RA, G, RJ, DI, RJ, 0] = 9 Two place a can at LB and one at LI uses nine units of fuel, while placing one at L2 and one at L8 uses 12. Sure, L2 and L8 are a bit further out, but I was still feeling good about this method. PCH = PBI, PBI, [RB, DC, RB, R0], [RI, DH, RI, 0] = 23 (9 + 9 + [3] + [2]) (Note the refueling at the home base in the first set of brackets.) I again compared this to placing the cans at the numbered locations and saw 23 versus 28 (14 + 14) and was pleased. Likewise, PDG = PCH, PCH, PAJ, PAJ, [RA,RC, DD, RD, RB, R0], [RJ, RH, DG, RH, RJ, 0] = 56 PEF = PDG, PDG, PBI, PBI, [RB, RD, DE, RD, RB, R0], [RI, RG, DF, RG, RI, 0] = 135 Whoa, 135 units? Really? And that�s just to place the outermost cans. That�s not even to place the ones you need to get there to complete the stupid trip. Yeah, this is a terrible way to go about solving the problem. To get all the way around the moon, it�ll take cans being left at locations A, C, E, F, H, and J. PEF + PCH + PAJ = 135 + 23 + 3 = 161 units of fuel That�s one shy of double the amount it takes from the previous method, which really surprised me. It started off being so promising. I know why it failed, though. In Method 1, the only time fuel was wasted was in placing cans at L2, L4, L6, and L8. (While typing this, I realized that this meant fuel was wasted all the time. Heh.) But seriously, only when I had to refuel at L1 and L9 was fuel wasted. All other times, all of the fuel was consumed. In Method 2, however, fuel was wasted all the time. I was refueling while only using a quarter of what was in the tank when I was refueling at LA and LJ. |