USING BACKTRACKING TO SOLVE THE SCRAMBLE SQUARES PUZZLE

Constructing computer programs that solve problems (and puzzles) is central to the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this paper we present an interesting puzzle and show how it can be solved using depth first search with backtracking. We feel this problem is well suited for undergraduate student projects, as it clearly demonstrates the power of backtracking when working with very large search trees. We conclude with several extensions to the original puzzle that would provide excellent research opportunities for undergraduate students