Pick-A-Puck

Hello Children,

let's play a little game, called Pick-A-Puck(TM).

This game demonstrates the properties of a selection algorithm based on the actual input set in contrast to a mixed decision algorithm based on meta-information about possible combinations in a truth-table.

Rules

• On top, there are three empty target boxes.
• At the bottom there are three boxes with pucks.
• You must pick one puck out of each box and place it in the target box above the box.
• Some pucks have the same color.
• Some pucks have an X and some don't.
• The pucks of the same color you pick, must either all have an X on them, or none of them may have an X.
• If you cannot do that, you loose.

Basic Selection Setup

Example 1

So let's say you pick the yellow puck from the first box. It does not have an X on it. That means, that you can no longer pick the yellow puck from the second box with the X on it. But you can pick the yellow puck from the third box.

Pick yellow from first, yellow from third

Since you cannot pick the yellow puck with the X from the second box, you must pick the blue puck from the second box.

Pick blue from second box

And you win! :)))

Example 2

You could have picked the blue puck with the X from the third box instead of the yellow one without the X.

Pick blue with X from third

But now you cannot pick the yellow puck with the X from the second box and you can also not pick the blue one without the X.

So, you loose :(.

Play With More Boxes

You can also play this game with more than three boxes.

Play With Three Pucks Per Box

You can also play this game with three pucks per box.

Three balls per box

Play With Hidden Pucks

If you want to make the game a little harder, you can put pucks in the boxes and draw little arrows on the glass lid. An arrow between two pucks means, that if you pick one of them, you cannot choose the other one.

Draw arrows on the glass lid

When you have finished drawing the arrows, you put a piece of paper or carton under the glass lid, so that the pucks cannot be seen anymore.

Put paper or carton under the glass lid