aoc/year2021/day23.rs
1//! # Amphipod
2//!
3//! Our high-level approach is an [A*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A*_search_algorithm) search
4//! over all possible burrow states. Three techniques are used to speed things up.
5//!
6//! Firstly a good choice of heuristic is crucial. The heuristic used has the following
7//! characteristics:
8//! * Exactly correct for optimal moves.
9//! * Cheap to update on each subsequent move.
10//!
11//! Secondly pruning states to reduce the search space is very beneficial. Two approaches are used:
12//! * A cache of previously seen states. If amphipods are in the same position but with a higher
13//! cost then the current state will never be optimal and can be pruned.
14//! * Detecting deadlocked states where an amphipod in the hallway prevents any possible solution.
15//! Exploring any further is a waste of time.
16//!
17//! Thirdly low-level bit manipulation is used to represent the burrow state compactly in only 16
18//! bytes for faster copying and hashing.
19use std::array::from_fn;
20use std::hash::*;
21
22use crate::util::hash::*;
23use crate::util::heap::*;
24
25/// The values of `A`, `B`, `C` and `D` are used heavily to calculate room indices.
26const A: usize = 0;
27const B: usize = 1;
28const C: usize = 2;
29const D: usize = 3;
30const ROOM: usize = 4;
31const EMPTY: usize = 5;
32const COST: [usize; 4] = [1, 10, 100, 1000];
33
34/// Pack the room state into only 2 bytes.
35///
36/// We use 3 bits for each amphipod plus a marker bit for a maximum of 13 bits. The room is a
37/// stack with the amphipod closest to the hallway in the least significant position.
38///
39/// The marker bit is used to determine how full a room is and to disambiguate empty from the `A`
40/// type.
41///
42/// Some example rooms:
43/// * Empty room `0000000000000001`
44/// * Room with two `A`s `0000000001000000`
45/// * Room with `ABCD` where `A` is closest to hallway `0001011010001000`
46#[derive(Clone, Copy, Eq, Hash, PartialEq)]
47struct Room {
48 packed: u16,
49}
50
51impl Room {
52 /// Pack state into a compact `u16` representation.
53 fn new([a, b, c, d]: [usize; 4]) -> Self {
54 let packed = (1 << 12) | (a << 9) | (b << 6) | (c << 3) | d;
55 Self { packed: packed as u16 }
56 }
57
58 /// The marker bit is always in the most significant position, so can be used to find out the
59 /// size of a room.
60 fn size(self) -> usize {
61 (self.packed.ilog2() / 3) as usize
62 }
63
64 /// Find the type of an amphipod closest to the hallway.
65 fn peek(self) -> Option<usize> {
66 (self.packed > 1).then_some(usize::from(self.packed & 0b111))
67 }
68
69 /// Remove the top amphipod.
70 fn pop(&mut self) -> usize {
71 let pod = usize::from(self.packed & 0b111);
72 self.packed >>= 3;
73 pod
74 }
75
76 /// A room is "open" if amphipods of that type can move to it. This means that it must be
77 /// empty or only already contain amphipods of that type.
78 ///
79 /// We use a multiplication by a constant to figure out the bit pattern. For example, a room
80 /// with three `B`s would have a bit pattern of `0000001001001001` which is the marker bit
81 /// plus B << 6 + B << 3 + B << 0 = B × 64 + B × 8 + B = B × 73.
82 fn open(self, kind: usize) -> bool {
83 self.packed == 1
84 || self.packed == (1 << 3) + (kind as u16) // 1
85 || self.packed == (1 << 6) + (kind as u16 * 9) // 8 + 1
86 || self.packed == (1 << 9) + (kind as u16 * 73) // 64 + 8 + 1
87 || self.packed == (1 << 12) + (kind as u16 * 585) // 512 + 64 + 8 + 1
88 }
89
90 /// Return an amphipod to the correct room.
91 fn push(&mut self, kind: usize) {
92 self.packed = (self.packed << 3) | (kind as u16);
93 }
94
95 /// Returns the amphipod at a specific index from the *bottom* of the burrow.
96 /// 0 is the bottom amphipod furthest from the hallway, 1 the next closest and so on.
97 fn spaces(self, index: usize) -> usize {
98 let adjusted = 3 * (self.size() - 1 - index);
99 usize::from((self.packed >> adjusted) & 0b111)
100 }
101}
102
103/// Pack the state of the hallway into a `usize`. Each hallway position is represented by a nibble
104/// with the pod type (plus additionally empty or room entrance markers) for a total of 44 bits.
105#[derive(Clone, Copy, Eq, Hash, PartialEq)]
106struct Hallway {
107 packed: usize,
108}
109
110impl Hallway {
111 /// The initial hallway is empty. Room entrances are marked as type 4.
112 fn new() -> Self {
113 Self { packed: 0x55454545455 }
114 }
115
116 /// Find the amphipod at a specific location.
117 fn get(self, index: usize) -> usize {
118 (self.packed >> (index * 4)) & 0xf
119 }
120
121 /// Update the amphipod at a specific location.
122 fn set(&mut self, index: usize, value: usize) {
123 let mask = !(0xf << (index * 4));
124 let value = value << (index * 4);
125 self.packed = (self.packed & mask) | value;
126 }
127}
128
129/// Combine hallway and four rooms into a complete burrow representation in only
130/// 8 + 4 × 2 = 16 bytes.
131#[derive(Clone, Copy, Eq, Hash, PartialEq)]
132struct Burrow {
133 hallway: Hallway,
134 rooms: [Room; 4],
135}
136
137impl Burrow {
138 fn new(rooms: [[usize; 4]; 4]) -> Self {
139 Self { hallway: Hallway::new(), rooms: rooms.map(Room::new) }
140 }
141}
142
143/// Subtracts the ASCII value of `A` from each character of the input so that amphipod values
144/// match the constants defined above.
145pub fn parse(input: &str) -> Vec<Vec<usize>> {
146 input
147 .lines()
148 .map(|line| line.bytes().map(|b| usize::from(b.saturating_sub(b'A'))).collect())
149 .collect()
150}
151
152/// Part one is a special case of the full burrow where two amphipods of each type are already
153/// in the correct position in each room.
154pub fn part1(input: &[Vec<usize>]) -> usize {
155 let burrow = Burrow::new([
156 [A, A, input[3][3], input[2][3]],
157 [B, B, input[3][5], input[2][5]],
158 [C, C, input[3][7], input[2][7]],
159 [D, D, input[3][9], input[2][9]],
160 ]);
161 organize(burrow)
162}
163
164/// Part two adds the middle amphipods as specified in the problem statement.
165pub fn part2(input: &[Vec<usize>]) -> usize {
166 let burrow = Burrow::new([
167 [input[3][3], D, D, input[2][3]],
168 [input[3][5], B, C, input[2][5]],
169 [input[3][7], A, B, input[2][7]],
170 [input[3][9], C, A, input[2][9]],
171 ]);
172 organize(burrow)
173}
174
175/// A* search over all possible burrow states until we find the lowest cost to organize.
176///
177/// Each state is processed in one of two phases, "condense" or "expand".
178///
179/// In condense, amphipods move from the hallway or another burrow directly to their home burrow.
180/// Multiple moves are combined if possible and each burrow is tried from left to right.
181/// In terms of energy this is always an optimal move.
182///
183/// If no moves to home burrows are possible then the expand phase moves amphipods into the
184/// hallway.
185fn organize(burrow: Burrow) -> usize {
186 let mut todo = MinHeap::with_capacity(20_000);
187 let mut seen = FastMap::with_capacity(20_000);
188
189 // Initial calculation of the heuristic is expensive but future updates will be cheap.
190 todo.push(best_possible(&burrow), burrow);
191
192 while let Some((energy, mut burrow)) = todo.pop() {
193 let open: [_; 4] = from_fn(|i| burrow.rooms[i].open(i));
194
195 // Process each burrow that is open in left to right order. More than one amphipod may move.
196 let mut changed = false;
197 for (i, &open) in open.iter().enumerate() {
198 if open && burrow.rooms[i].size() < 4 {
199 let offset = 2 + 2 * i;
200 let forward = (offset + 1)..11;
201 let reverse = (0..offset).rev();
202 changed |= condense(&mut burrow, i, forward);
203 changed |= condense(&mut burrow, i, reverse);
204 }
205 }
206
207 if changed {
208 // If amphipods moved back to their home burrow in the condense phase then
209 // check if we're fully organized.
210 if burrow.rooms.iter().zip(open).all(|(room, open)| open && room.size() == 4) {
211 return energy;
212 }
213
214 // Moving back to home burrow does not change total energy due to the way the
215 // heuristic is calculated. For example, if we have spent 100 energy and the heuristic
216 // is 100, spending 10 to move an amphipod would result in 110 energy spent and a
217 // heuristic of 90.
218 if seen.get(&burrow).is_none_or(|&min| energy < min) {
219 todo.push(energy, burrow);
220 seen.insert(burrow, energy);
221 }
222 } else {
223 // If no amphipods can return to their home burrow then fan out into multiple states
224 // by moving the top amphipod from each burrow into the hallway.
225 for (i, &open) in open.iter().enumerate() {
226 if !open {
227 let offset = 2 + 2 * i;
228 let forward = (offset + 1)..11;
229 let reverse = (0..offset).rev();
230 expand(&mut todo, &mut seen, burrow, energy, i, forward);
231 expand(&mut todo, &mut seen, burrow, energy, i, reverse);
232 }
233 }
234 }
235 }
236
237 unreachable!()
238}
239
240/// Heuristic of the lowest possible energy to organize the burrow. Assumes that amphipods can
241/// move through the hallway unblocked.
242fn best_possible(burrow: &Burrow) -> usize {
243 let mut energy = 0;
244 // How many of each kind are outside their home burrow. Used to adjust the energy needed
245 // to move. The first amphipod will need to move all the way to the bottom, but the next
246 // will only need to move 1 space less.
247 let mut need_to_move = [0; 4];
248
249 for (original_kind, room) in burrow.rooms.iter().enumerate() {
250 let mut blocker = false;
251
252 // Search from bottom to top.
253 for depth in 0..room.size() {
254 let kind = room.spaces(depth);
255 let across = if kind != original_kind {
256 blocker = true; // Any amphipod above will need to move out of the way.
257 2 * kind.abs_diff(original_kind) // Distance between rooms.
258 } else if blocker {
259 2 // In home burrow but must still move for a lower amphipod of a different kind.
260 } else {
261 continue; // Already in correct position with no blocker below.
262 };
263 need_to_move[kind] += 1;
264 let up = 4 - depth;
265 let down = need_to_move[kind];
266 energy += COST[kind] * (up + across + down);
267 }
268 }
269
270 energy
271}
272
273/// Starting from a burrow of a specific kind, searches the hallway and other rooms from either
274/// left or right direction, returning all amphipods of that kind to the burrow.
275/// Stops searching immediately if blocked.
276fn condense(burrow: &mut Burrow, kind: usize, iter: impl Iterator<Item = usize>) -> bool {
277 let mut changed = false;
278
279 for hallway_index in iter {
280 match burrow.hallway.get(hallway_index) {
281 // Skip over empty spaces.
282 EMPTY => (),
283 // Move as many amphipods as possible from the room to their home burrow.
284 ROOM => {
285 let room_index = (hallway_index - 2) / 2;
286
287 while burrow.rooms[room_index].peek() == Some(kind) {
288 burrow.rooms[room_index].pop();
289 burrow.rooms[kind].push(kind);
290 changed = true;
291 }
292 }
293 // Move from hallway to home burrow.
294 pod if pod == kind => {
295 burrow.hallway.set(hallway_index, EMPTY);
296 burrow.rooms[kind].push(kind);
297 changed = true;
298 }
299 // We're blocked from any further progress in this direction.
300 _ => break,
301 }
302 }
303
304 changed
305}
306
307/// Searches the hallway in either the right or left direction, pushing a new state to the
308/// priority queue if it's possible to place an amphipod there.
309fn expand(
310 todo: &mut MinHeap<usize, Burrow>,
311 seen: &mut FastMap<Burrow, usize>,
312 mut burrow: Burrow,
313 energy: usize,
314 room_index: usize,
315 iter: impl Iterator<Item = usize>,
316) {
317 let kind = burrow.rooms[room_index].pop();
318
319 for hallway_index in iter {
320 match burrow.hallway.get(hallway_index) {
321 // Amphipods can't stop directly outside rooms.
322 ROOM => (),
323 // Check each empty space.
324 EMPTY => {
325 let mut next = burrow;
326 next.hallway.set(hallway_index, kind);
327
328 // If this move would result in a state that can never be finished then prune early.
329 if deadlock_left(&next)
330 || deadlock_right(&next)
331 || deadlock_room(&next, 0)
332 || deadlock_room(&next, 1)
333 || deadlock_room(&next, 2)
334 || deadlock_room(&next, 3)
335 {
336 continue;
337 }
338
339 // If the destination is outside of the direct path from our current burrow
340 // to our home burrow then add the extra energy to move there *and back* to the
341 // heuristic.
342 let start = 2 + 2 * room_index;
343 let end = 2 + 2 * kind;
344
345 let adjust = if start == end {
346 // If in our home burrow but moving out of the way of another kind,
347 // then assume the minimum possible distance of 1 place to either the
348 // left or right in the hallway.
349 let across = hallway_index.abs_diff(start);
350 across - 1
351 } else {
352 let lower = start.min(end);
353 let upper = start.max(end);
354 // One of these expressions will be zero depending on direction.
355 lower.saturating_sub(hallway_index) + hallway_index.saturating_sub(upper)
356 };
357
358 let extra = COST[kind] * 2 * adjust;
359
360 // Critical optimization. If we're not in our home burrow then we must move out of
361 // the way otherwise we'd become a blocker.
362 if kind != room_index && extra == 0 {
363 continue;
364 }
365
366 // Check that we haven't already seen this state before with lower energy
367 // in order to prune suboptimal duplicates.
368 let next_energy = energy + extra;
369
370 if seen.get(&next).is_none_or(|&min| next_energy < min) {
371 todo.push(next_energy, next);
372 seen.insert(next, next_energy);
373 }
374 }
375 // We're blocked from any further progress in this direction.
376 _ => break,
377 }
378 }
379}
380
381/// Checks for a situation where an `A` amphipod can block other amphipods in the leftmost burrow.
382///
383/// For example:
384/// ```none
385/// #############
386/// #...A.......#
387/// ### #.#.#.###
388/// #A#.#.#.#
389/// #A#.#.#.#
390/// #B#.#.#.#
391/// #########
392/// ```
393///
394/// The top two `A`s can move into the left hallway spaces but the `B` will then be stuck
395/// and we'll never be able to organize the burrow completely.
396fn deadlock_left(burrow: &Burrow) -> bool {
397 let room = &burrow.rooms[0];
398 let size = room.size();
399 burrow.hallway.get(3) == A && size >= 3 && room.spaces(size - 3) != A
400}
401
402/// Mirror image situation to `deadlock_left` where a `D` amphipod could block others.
403///
404/// For example:
405/// ```none
406/// #############
407/// #.......D...#
408/// ###.#.#.#A###
409/// #.#.#.#B#
410/// #.#.#.#C#
411/// #.#.#.#D#
412/// #########
413/// ```
414///
415/// The hallway has room for the top two amphipods but the `D` prevents the bottom two
416/// from returning to their home burrow.
417fn deadlock_right(burrow: &Burrow) -> bool {
418 let room = &burrow.rooms[3];
419 let size = room.size();
420 burrow.hallway.get(7) == D && size >= 3 && room.spaces(size - 3) != D
421}
422
423/// Detects situation where amphipods in the hallway need to move past each other but
424/// mutually block any further progress.
425///
426/// For example:
427/// ```none
428/// #############
429/// #.....D.A...#
430/// ###.#.#.#.###
431/// #.#.#.#.#
432/// #.#.#C#.#
433/// #.#.#C#.#
434/// #########
435/// ```
436///
437/// In this situation, neither `A` nor `D` can move into `C`'s room but also block each other
438/// from returning to their home burrow.
439///
440/// Another example:
441/// ```none
442/// #############
443/// #.....C.A...#
444/// ###.#.#.#.###
445/// #.#.#.#.#
446/// #.#.#B#.#
447/// #.#.#C#.#
448/// #########
449/// ```
450/// In this situation `C` blocks `A` from returning to its home burrow and `B` is also blocked
451/// from moving out of the way.
452fn deadlock_room(burrow: &Burrow, kind: usize) -> bool {
453 let left_kind = burrow.hallway.get(1 + 2 * kind);
454 let right_kind = burrow.hallway.get(3 + 2 * kind);
455
456 left_kind != EMPTY
457 && right_kind != EMPTY
458 && left_kind >= kind
459 && right_kind <= kind
460 && !(burrow.rooms[kind].open(kind) && (kind == right_kind || kind == left_kind))
461}