gistfile1.py

arr = [1,2,3,1,1,2,1,1]

class jump_path():
    def __init__(self, target_array = None, spots = []):
        #print('new path!')
        self.target = target_array
        self.spots = spots
    def hops(self):
        return len(self.spots)-1
    def next_hops(self):
        paths = []
        #print('next_hops')
        j = self.spots[-1]
        e = self.target[j]
        #print('e : {}'.format(e))
        for x in range(e+1):
            #print('  x : {}'.format(x))
            path = self.copy()
            path.spots.append(j+x)
            paths.append(path)
        return paths
    def copy(self):
        clone = jump_path() 
        clone.target = self.target
        clone.spots = self.spots[:]
        return clone
    def __str__(self):
        return 'Path: {}, Distance: {}'.format(self.spots, self.hops())

def get_shortest_path_through_arr(arr):
    path = jump_path(arr, [0])
    paths = [path]

    if len(paths) == 0:
        return None

    def loop(paths):
        next_paths = []
        for path in paths:
            #print path
            #print path.spots
            #print (len(path.target)-1)
            if path.spots[-1] == (len(path.target)-1):
                #print 'FOUND'
                return path
            next_paths = next_paths + path.next_hops()
        if len(next_paths) > 0:
            return loop(next_paths)

    return loop(paths)

shortest_path = get_shortest_path_through_arr(arr)

print 'Shortest Path: {}'.format(shortest_path)