Branch and Bound

15 Puzzle Problem

Random Arrangement Desired Arrangement

1 2 15 5 1 2 3 4

4 3 6 5 6 7 8

14 13 12 9 9 10 11 12

10 11 7 8 13 14 15

Empty slot can move Goal is to have desired

Left/right/top/bottom a arrangement in
number of times to get the minimum number of
desired arrangement moves
 Possible Moves
Total permutation= 16! 1 2 15 5
State space tree will be huge! 4 3 6
14 13 12 9 left
bottom
10 11 7 8 1 2 15 5
1 2 15 5
4 3 6
4 13 3 6
top 14 13 12 9
14 12 9 right
10 11 7 8
10 11 7 8
1 2 15 5 1 15 5
4 3 6 4 2 3 6
14 13 12 9 14 13 12 9
10 11 7 8 10 11 7 8
 Possible Moves
1 2 15 5
4 3 6
14 13 12 9
bottom 10 11 7 8

1 2 15 5
4 13 3 6
14 12 9
10 11 7 8
 Possible Moves
1 2 15 5
4 3 6
14 13 12 9
bottom 10 11 7 8

1 2 15 5
Can’t move TOP, it will result back
4 13 3 6 into previous state
14 12 9
10 11 7 8
left
right bottom
1 2 15 5 1 2 15 5
1 2 15 5
4 13 3 6 4 13 3 6
4 13 3 6
14 12 9 14 11 12 9
14 12 9
10 11 7 8 10 7 8
10 11 7 8
 Problem Solving
• Cannot try all possible solutions!
• Cannot build state space tree
– Branch for each move…. Very large…
• Need some heuristics to simplify the search
• Heuristics decide the fate of state space tree
– decides which sub-child to selected for branching
– and which should be pruned (bounded)
 Heuristic for 15 puzzle
• For a state node ‘x’ in state space tree let its cost be
defined as:
𝑐 (𝑥) = 𝑓 𝑥 + 𝑔(𝑥)
• 𝑐 (𝑥) =estimated min cost to reach the goal node
• 𝑓 𝑥 length of path from root to node ‘x’
• 𝑔(𝑥) =estimate of length of shortest path from node
‘x’ to a goal node in subtree with root ‘x’

• Here 𝑔(𝑥) =number of non blank tiles not in

their goal position.
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12
B L 5
2 T R
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12

• Four board arrangements possible..

• Need to find which may be best arrangement
closest to desired arrangement
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 f 𝑥 =1
f 𝑥 =1 5
2 T f 𝑥 =1 R f 𝑥 =1 B L
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 4
𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 2

Select the branch from where we can reach the

desired arrangement in min number of moves…
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 f 𝑥 =1
f 𝑥 =1 5
2 T f 𝑥 =1 R f 𝑥 =1 B L
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 4
𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 2
bound bound branch bound

Select the branch from where we can reach the

desired arrangement in min number of moves…
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 f 𝑥 =1
f 𝑥 =1 5
2 T f 𝑥 =1 R f 𝑥 =1 B L
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 2 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
R
B L
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 9 10 15 11 9 10 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 12 𝑔(𝑥) = 3
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 1
𝑔(𝑥) = 3
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 f 𝑥 =1
f 𝑥 =1 5
2 T f 𝑥 =1 R f 𝑥 =1 B L
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 2 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
R
B L
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 9 10 15 11 9 10 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 12 13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 1
𝑔(𝑥) = 3 𝑔(𝑥) = 3
branch
bound bound
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 f 𝑥 =1
f 𝑥 =1 5
2 T f 𝑥 =1 R f 𝑥 =1 B L
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 2 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
R 𝑔(𝑥) = 3 B L
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 9 10 15 11 9 10 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 12 13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 1
𝑔(𝑥) = 3
1 2 3 4
B 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 5 6 7
T
9 10 11 12 9 10 11 8
13 14 15 13 14 15 12
 state space tree 1 1 2 3 4
5 6 8
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 f 𝑥 =1
f 𝑥 =1 5
2 T f 𝑥 =1 R f 𝑥 =1 B L
1 2 4 3 1 2 3 4 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 3 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 8
5 6 8
9 10 7 11 9 10 11 9 10 7 11
9 10 7 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12 13 14 15 12
13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 2 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
𝑔(𝑥) = 4 𝑔(𝑥) = 4
R 𝑔(𝑥) = 3 B L
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 9 10 15 11 9 10 11
13 14 15 12 13 14 12 13 14 15 12
𝑔(𝑥) = 1
𝑔(𝑥) = 3
1 2 3 4
B 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 5 6 7
T
9 10 11 12 9 10 11 8
13 14 15 13 14 15 12