Question

In this question, you will test(using the 'c language'), using a backtracking algorithm, if a mouse can escape from a rectangular maze. To ensure consistency of design, start your solution with maze_start.c.

The backtracking algorithm helps the mouse by systematically trying all the routes through the maze until it either finds the escape hatch or exhausts all possible routes (and concludes that the mouse is trapped in the maze). If the backtracking algorithm finds a dead end, it retraces its path until it reaches a position from which there is an untried path. The backtracking algorithm always tries all directions from any position, and always in the same order.

The input to the algorithm is a maze with walls (represented by '1' characters) and open passage ways (represented by '0' characters). The starting position of the mouse is represented by 'm' and the escape from the maze by 'e'. Your program will read the maze in from standard input. The first line of the input will contain the number of rows and the number of columns in a maze. Thus, the input might look like the following:

6 5
1 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 e 1
1 1 1 0 1
1 m 1 0 1
1 0 0 0 1
1 1 1 1 1

Answer 1

To test if a mouse can escape from a rectangular maze, use a backtracking algorithm in C language.

Step-by-step explanation:

To test if a mouse can escape from a rectangular maze using a backtracking algorithm in C language, you can start with the provided 'maze_start.c' file. The backtracking algorithm systematically tries all routes through the maze until it either finds the escape hatch or exhausts all possible routes. The algorithm backtracks when it reaches a dead end and retraces its steps until it finds an untried path.

The input to the algorithm is a maze represented by '0' characters for open passages, '1' characters for walls, 'm' for the starting position of the mouse, and 'e' for the escape. You can read the maze from standard input, with the first line containing the number of rows and columns in the maze.

By implementing the backtracking algorithm, you can efficiently check if the mouse can escape the maze by exploring all possible paths. Remember the specific order in which the algorithm tries each direction from any position and uses this algorithm to find the escape route.