From: "Florian G. Pflug" <fgp@...>
Date: 2004-11-14T02:48:14+09:00
Subject: Re: [QUIZ] Countdown (#7)

Hi

I just starten thinking about an algorithm to solve this - and I 
stumbled upon the following:

The "Countdown"-Quiz kind of a generalization of a Knapsack-Problem, 
isn't it? If I recall correctly, solving a Knapsack means to find
a way to construct a given number by chosing which numbers (from a given 
   set) to _sum_ up - or did I mix this up with something else?

If a further recall correctly that solving a general Knapsack is 
NP-hard, the Countdown-Quit is NP-hard too, isn't it?

I'd appreciate any comment on this.

Greetings, Florian Pflug