Your post is really interestingBill Spight wrote:Let's see.Gérard TAILLE wrote:OK Bill, now I see clearly what is your calculation and due to a miscalculation my example is not the one I would have taken.
Instead of the sequence 6 + 4 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 4 can we take the simplier sequence 6 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 2
and the question is : at what temperature will white blocks the corridor by playing at "a"?
This time I found t=5 but I am not sure at 100% of such result
{0|-2||-8|||-13||||-17|||||-23}
Above temperature 1 we have
{-1|-8||-13|||-17||||-23}
Above temperature 3½ we have
{-4½|-13||-17|||-23}
Above temperature 4¼ we have
{-8¾|-17||-23}
Above temperature 4⅛ we might have
{-12⅞|-23} but 4⅛ < 4¼ so above temperature 4 we have
{-13|-23}
Above temperature 5 we have
-18.
The thermograph is this.
First of all we note the calculation giving the sequence
0, -1, -4½, -8¾, -12⅞
then handling the possibility to create a sente situation you made the correction
-12⅞ -> 13
and then the sequence ended by
13, 18
in order to give the correct thermograph.
From a theoritical point of view your method to reach the thermograph is correct but I see two major drawbacks for pratice:
1) The sequence 0, -1, -4½, -8¾, -12⅞, 13, 18 is a very poor sequence in terms of convergence towards the final value, because the most significant change through this sequence appears at the end of the sequence and not at the beginning
2) When you look in details to the correction -12⅞ -> 13 you discover that a part of the calculation to build the sequence 0, -1, -4½, -8¾, -12⅞ may be not necessary
With this in mind I look for another procedure for building this thermograph. Here it is.
Firstly we can note that for such corridor the thermograph looks like the following Let's take again the corridor defined by the sequence 6, 4, 5, 6, 2
The first figure of the sequence (6 in the example) is the most important figure and this figure is the width of the thermograph base.
In order to draw the correct thermograph we have only to calculate the value x shown above in the attachement file.
My goal is to calculate this value x by following the sequence in the most efficient order and by handling at each step a min value and a max value for x.
Taking the first value of the sequence (6) I initialise
min = 0 and max = 6
Now I get to each figure in the sequence a weight designing the influence of the figure on the final result
The first figure (6) has the weight 1
The second figure (4) has the weight 1/2
The third figure (5) has the weight 1/4
The fourth figure (6) has the weight 1/8
The fifth figure (2) has the weight 1/16
Now let's procede:
Let's take the second figure (4), I handle the contribution of this figure to find x as follows:
The weight of this figure being 1/2 the second figure 4 can only increase the min value by figure between 2 and 4. The new min-max value are then
min = 2 max = 4
Let's take the third figure (5)
The weight of this figure being 1/4 this third figure 5 can only increase the min value by figure between 1¼ and 2½. The new min-max value are then
min = 3¼ max = 4
Note that the max value as not changed because previous_min + 2½ = 2 + 2½ = 4½ > previous_max
Let's take the fourth figure (6)
The weight of this figure being 1/8 the fourth figure 6 can only increase the min value by figure between ¾ and 1½. The new min max value are then
min = 4 max = 4
Because min = max = 4 you stop there and draw the thermograph accordingly without looking to the remaining figures defining the corridor!
BTW, if you are a little lazy and you look only on a good estimation of the thermograph you can of course stop for example after the third figure. Here you have min = 3¼ max = 4 and you may use your feeling to estimate x between 3¼ and 4. Seeing the following figure 6, which is quite high your feeling will certainly choose a value very near from the correct value 4 !