The Knapsack Problem

The Knapsack Problem
Game
Main links	Play onlineDownload IFDB IF Archive
Published	6 May 2001
Credits
Author	Leonard Richardson
Reception
Events	LOTECH Comp 2001 Entry
IFDB rating	2 out of 5 (7 ratings)
Gameplay
Interaction style	Choice
Location	One-room
Language	English
Accessibility	Colour: none. Graphics: none. Sound: none.
Technical details
Authoring system	Inform 6
Format	Z-code 5
License	Freeware
IFID	ZCODE-1-010415-E837
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The Knapsack Problem
Not Quite an Abuse of the Z-Machine
Copyright 2001 Leonard Richardson

Notable features

• Not interactive fiction in the traditional sense.
• Names, values, and weights of items are randomized for each gaming session. The solution to the game's main puzzle will be different each time.

Versions

Release 1 (LOTECH entry)

Date: 6 May 2001

• The Knapsack Problem (Leonard Richardson; 06-May-2001; Z-code 5).
  • Release 1 / Serial number 010415
  • IFID: ZCODE-1-010415-E837
    IFID links: IFDB
  • LOTECH Comp 2001: Entry, unranked from 6 entries.
  • Download lotech.zip from the IF Archive. All the games in LOTECH Comp 2001.

Release 3 (Post-comp)

Date: 14 August 2001

• The Knapsack Problem (Leonard Richardson; 14-Aug-2001; Z-code 5).
  • Release 3 / Serial number 010814
  • Download knapsack.z5 from the author's site.

Related games

• Part of "Classical Conundrums":
  • Spyder and Jeb (Neil deMause; 1998; TADS 2).
  • Schroedinger's Cat (James Willson; 2001; Inform 6; Z-code).
  • The Knapsack Problem (Leonard Richardson; 2001; Inform 6; Z-code).
  • Food for Thought (Tara McGrew; 2007; Inform 7; Z-code).

Classical Conundrums in Math and Science

Spyder and Jeb (1998) The Knapsack Problem (2001) Schroedinger's Cat (2001) Food for Thought (2007)

Links

N.B. Many IF Archive games are temporarily unavailable in the UK.

General info

• The Knapsack Problem homepage.
• The Knapsack Problem (archived) - at Baf's Guide.
• The Knapsack Problem - at IFDB.

Reviews

• The Knapsack Problem - at IF Ratings.

Spoilers

• Download knapsack-R3.tgz. Source code (Inform 6 and Python) for Release 3, from the author's site.

See also

For more about the knapsack problem in general:

• Knapsack problem (the problem, not the game) - at Wikipedia.
• "NP-Complete" - xkcd, a webcomic by Randall Munroe, features the knapsack problem in this July 2007 strip.

Note: To refer to this game from another page, you can type {{game citation|The Knapsack Problem}}. This will display as The Knapsack Problem (Leonard Richardson; 2001; Inform 6; Z-code).

Date: 6 May 2001

Date: 14 August 2001