Playing Perfect Hangman

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Reams, Charles¹

Affiliations: Cambridge, UK

Note: [1] Computer Lab, University of Cambridge, UK, email: calr3@cam.ac.uk

Abstract: Hangman is one of the most widely-known word games in the world. In this note, we give a brute-force strategy for playing Hangman perfectly, and discuss a practical implementation with many optimizations. We then show two simpler algorithms, which are vastly more computationally efficient and, in practice, have almost optimal behaviour. Finally, we discuss (1) some directions in which the speed of the optimal algorithm could be improved heuristically, and (2) further results which might be gathered.

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2009-32304

Journal: ICGA Journal, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 149-153, 2009