Explore techniques in JavaScript to solve a peg game

peg-game.js

#!/usr/bin/env node
var sys = require("sys");
var console = {};
console.log = sys.print;
//     c
//    3 4
//   9 0 a
//  8 2 1 5
// e 7 b 6 d
var jumps =
 [
  [ 0x2, 0x4 ], // 0x00
  [ 0x0, 0x6 ], // 0x01
  [ 0x1, 0x8 ], // 0x02
  [ 0x9, 0xc ], // 0x03
  [ 0xa, 0xc ], // 0x04
  [ 0xa, 0xd ], // 0x05
  [ 0xb, 0xd ], // 0x06
  [ 0xb, 0xe ], // 0x07
  [ 0x9, 0xe ], // 0x08
  [ 0x3, 0x8 ], // 0x09
  [ 0x4, 0x5 ], // 0x0a
  [ 0x6, 0x7 ], // 0x0b
  [ 0x2, 0x4 ], // 0x0c (0)
  [ 0x2, 0x5 ], // 0x0d (1)
  [ 0x1, 0x8 ], // 0x0e (2)
  [ 0x9, 0xa ], // 0x0f (0)
  [ 0xa, 0xb ], // 0x10 (1)
  [ 0x9, 0xb ], // 0x11 (2)
 ];

var countPegs = function (pegStatus)
 {
  var count = 0;
  for (i in pegStatus)
   {
    if (pegStatus[i])
     count++;
   }
  //console.log(count + " pegs remain.\n");
  return (count);
 };

var showPegs = function (pegStatus)
 {
  //     c
  if (pegStatus[0xc])
   console.log("     *\n");
  else
   console.log("      \n");

  //    3 4
  if (pegStatus[3])
   console.log("    * ");
  else
   console.log("      ");

  if (pegStatus[4])
   console.log("*\n");
  else
   console.log(" \n");

  //   9 0 a
  if (pegStatus[9])
   console.log("   * ");
  else
   console.log("     ");

  if (pegStatus[0])
   console.log("* ");
  else
   console.log("  ");

  if (pegStatus[0xa])
   console.log("*\n");
  else
   console.log(" \n");

  //  8 2 1 5
  if (pegStatus[8])
   console.log("  * ");
  else
   console.log("    ");

  if (pegStatus[2])
   console.log("* ");
  else
   console.log("  ");

  if (pegStatus[1])
   console.log("* ");
  else
   console.log("  ");

  if (pegStatus[5])
   console.log("*\n");
  else
   console.log(" \n");

  // e 7 b 6 d
  if (pegStatus[0xe])
   console.log(" * ");
  else
   console.log("   ");

  if (pegStatus[7])
   console.log("* ");
  else
   console.log("  ");

  if (pegStatus[0xb])
   console.log("* ");
  else
   console.log("  ");

  if (pegStatus[6])
   console.log("* ");
  else
   console.log("  ");

  if (pegStatus[0xd])
   console.log("*\n");
  else
   console.log(" \n");
 }

var tryMoves = function (moves, pegStatus, showMoves)
 {
  for (var i in moves)
   {
    var move = moves[i];

    //showPegs(pegStatus);

    while(true)
     {
      var j = move;
      var direction = true;
      if (j > 0x11)
       {
        j = j % 0x12;
        direction = false;
       }
      var peg = j;
      if (peg > 0xb)
       {
        peg = peg % 3;
       }
      if (pegStatus[peg])
       if
        (
         direction
         && pegStatus[jumps[j][0]]
         && !pegStatus[jumps[j][1]]
        )
        {
         pegStatus[peg] = false;
         pegStatus[jumps[j][0]] = false;
         pegStatus[jumps[j][1]] = true;
	 if (showMoves)
          console.log("Jumped from " + jumps[j][0] + " to " + jumps[j][1] + ".\n");
         break;
        }
       else if
        (
         !direction
         && !pegStatus[jumps[j][0]]
         && pegStatus[jumps[j][1]]
        )
        {
         pegStatus[peg] = false;
         pegStatus[jumps[j][1]] = false;
         pegStatus[jumps[j][0]] = true;
	 if (showMoves)
          console.log("Jumped from " + jumps[j][1] + " to " + jumps[j][0] + ".\n");
         break;
        }
       move++;
       move %= 0x24;
       if (move == moves[i])
        break;
     }

    //countPegs(pegStatus);
   }
 };

var fixedMoves =
 {
  "moves": function ()
   {
    var moves = [ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 ];
    return (moves);
   },
  "pegStatus": function ()
   {
    var pegStatus =
     [ false, true,  true,
       true,  true,  true,
       true,  true,  true,
       true,  true,  true,
       true,  true,  true
     ];
    return (pegStatus);
   }
 };

var randomMoves = 
 {
  "moves": function ()
   {
    var moves = new Array();
    for (var i = 0; i < 14; i++)
     {
      moves[i] = Math.floor(Math.random()*0x24);
     }
    return (moves);
   },
  "pegStatus": function ()
   {
    var pegStatus = new Array();
    var missingPeg = Math.floor(Math.random()*15);
    for (var i = 0; i < 15; i++)
     pegStatus[i] = (i != missingPeg);
    return (pegStatus);
   }
 };

var solve = function (solver, attempts)
 {
  var best_count = 14;

  for(var i = 0; (i < attempts) || (attempts == 0); i++)
   {
    var count = 14;
    var moves = solver.moves();
    var startingPegStatus = solver.pegStatus();

    var pegStatus = startingPegStatus.slice(0);
    tryMoves(moves, pegStatus, false);
    count = countPegs(pegStatus);

    if (count < best_count)
     {
      console.log("Made " + (i+1) + " attempts.\n");
      console.log("Previous best count was " + best_count +".\n");

      var pegStatus = startingPegStatus.slice(0);
      showPegs(pegStatus);
      tryMoves(moves, pegStatus, true);
      showPegs(pegStatus);
      best_count = countPegs(pegStatus);
     }

    if (count == 1)
     {
      break;
     }
   }

  console.log("Made " + (i+1) + " attempts.\n");
  console.log("Best count was " + best_count +".\n");
 };

solve(randomMoves, 10000);

results.txt

Solution #1:

     X
    3 4
   . 0 A
  8 2 1 5
 E 7 B 6 D
1) Jumped from C to 9. (missing peg in middle of side, go along side starting from top until stuck, *escaping* from left side when necessary)
     .
    . 4
   9 0 A
  X 2 1 5
 E 7 B 6 D
2) Jumped from 8 to 3.
     .
    3 4
   . 0 A
  . 2 X 5
 E 7 B 6 D
3) Jumped from 1 to 8.
     .
    3 4
   . 0 A
  8 . . 5
 X 7 B 6 D
4) Jumped from E to 9.
     .
    X 4
   9 0 A
  . . . 5
 . 7 B 6 D
5) Jumped from 3 to 8.
     .
    . X
   . 0 A
  8 . . 5
 . 7 B 6 D
6) Jumped from 4 to 2. (*enter* from right and continue on right side until stuck)
     .
    . .
   . . A
  8 2 . X
 . 7 B 6 D
7) Jumped from 5 to 4.
     .
    . 4
   . . .
  X 2 . .
 . 7 B 6 D
8) Jumped from 8 to 1. (enter from left side)
     .
    . 4
   . . .
  . . 1 .
 . 7 B X D
9) Jumped from 6 to 0. (enter from right bottom)
     .
    . 4
   . 0 .
  . . . .
 . X B . D
10) Jumped from 7 to 6. (bottom and finish)
     .
    . X
   . 0 .
  . . . .
 . . . 6 D
11) Jumped from 4 to 2.
     .
    . .
   . . .
  . 2 . .
 . . . 6 X
12) Jumped from D to B.
     .
    . .
   . . .
  . 2 . .
 . . X . .
13) Jumped from B to 9.
     .
    . .
   9 . .
  . . . .
 . . . . .


Solution #2:

     C
    3 4
   9 . A
  8 2 1 5
 E 7 B X D
1) Jumped from 6 to 0.
     C
    3 4
   9 0 A
  8 2 . 5
 E X B . D
2) Jumped from 7 to 6.
     C
    3 4
   X 0 A
  8 2 . 5
 E . . 6 D
3) Jumped from 9 to B.
     C
    3 4
   . 0 A
  8 . . 5
 X . B 6 D
4) Jumped from E to 9.
     C
    X 4
   9 0 A
  . . . 5
 . . B 6 D
5) Jumped from 3 to 8.
     C
    . 4
   . 0 A
  8 . . 5
 . . B X D
6) Jumped from 6 to 7.
     C
    . X
   . 0 A
  8 . . 5
 . 7 . . D
7) Jumped from 4 to 2.
     C
    . .
   . . A
  8 2 . X
 . 7 . . D
8) Jumped from 5 to 4.
     C
    . 4
   . . .
  X 2 . .
 . 7 . . D
9) Jumped from 8 to 1.
     X
    . 4
   . . .
  . . 1 .
 . 7 . . D
10) Jumped from C to A.
     .
    . .
   . . X
  . . 1 .
 . 7 . . D
11) Jumped from A to B.
     .
    . .
   . . .
  . . . .
 . X B . D
12) Jumped from 7 to 6.
     .
    . .
   . . .
  . . . .
 . . . 6 X
13) Jumped from D to B.
     .
    . .
   . . .
  . . . .
 . . B . .