You're trapped in a maze. There is a way out. Path junctions are all 3-way.

If you use the strategy of always taking the path going right, what will happen?

(Note: This problem is deliberarely vague.)

(In reply to re: possible results by qball)

Although I dropped out of active discussion when the theory started getting beyond me, I have still been following C9's and FL's remarks.

When C9 agreed that the maze must be considered to lie in a single plane, it occurred to me as well that a truly random arrangement of connections would lead to paths crossing at points where there was no node. However, the reason for the restriction to a plane was to be able to clearly distinguish "left" from "right," so the restriction to a plane can be modified to "more or less planar," allowing the use of tunnels and bridges to avoid paths crossing.

Your commment about the "left hand maze" seems to imply that you are thinking of a maze with two separate exits, only one of which is the "right" exit (or if you will, an "entrance" and an "exit" So does your statemnt about every node being attached to three other nodes "except for the entrance and exit."

C9 has already stated that he should have included the condition that there is exactly one exit. This is not a "get to the other side" sort of maze. Think of it more like a dragon's cave with a treasure. You have to find your way to the treasure, and then come out the same way you got in. Except that as the puzzle starts, you are in the treasure room and you realize you forgot to take note of how you got there.

Posted by TomM on 2002-07-06 13:25:16