document.write( "Question 987080: Place a half-dollar, a quarter, and a nickel in position A. Try to move these coins, one at a time, to position C. At no time may a larger coin be placed on a smaller coin. Coins may be placed in position B. \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "a. How many moves does it take to get them to position C?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "b. Now add a penny to the pile and see how many moves are required. This is a simple case of the famous Tower of Hanoi problem, in which ancient Brahman priests were required to move a pile of 64 disks of decreasing size, after which the world would end. How long did it take at a rate of one move per second. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #607868 by solver91311(24713)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

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document.write( "       N       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "0      Q       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "       H       |       |\r\n" );
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document.write( "       |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "1      Q       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "       H       |       N\r\n" );
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document.write( "       |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "2      |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "       H       Q       N\r\n" );
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document.write( "       |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "3      |       N       |\r\n" );
document.write( "       H       Q       |\r\n" );
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document.write( "       |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "4      |       N       |\r\n" );
document.write( "       |       Q       H\r\n" );
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document.write( "5      |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "       N       Q       H\r\n" );
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document.write( "       |       |       |\r\n" );
document.write( "6      |       |       Q\r\n" );
document.write( "       N       |       H\r\n" );
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document.write( "       |       |       N\r\n" );
document.write( "7      |       |       Q\r\n" );
document.write( "       |       |       H\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "For disks, moves.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "64 disks at 1 move per second would take 584.54 Billion years give or take a couple of million years. Compare to the estimated age of the universe since the Big Bang at 13.772 Billion years.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "John
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\n" ); document.write( "My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it\r
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