Abstract Algorithms 4—Backtracking 313
In this chapter, we shall discuss a very important and useful strategy known as Backtracking, which found
its fi rst use in games and other Artifi cial Intelligence applications. It was found that such problems required
traversal of a large search tree, either in actual or in abstract form. This required exponential time. In order
to reduce the search time, one strategy used is backtracking. Though, the use of this strategy originated in
search and traversal problems, it is a general abstract algorithm. Before we discuss the backtracking strategy,
we shall have a look at the search and traversal problems.
12.1 COMBINATORIAL SEARCH
The benefi ts that can accrue from analysing and improving algorithms for problems ...