Mazes

Mazes

This page generates simple rectangular mazes with square cells. You can you the drop down selection box to vary the number of cells and there are controls to change other aspects. Try to find a route from 'S' to 'E' or use the "Solve" button to watch the software search for a solution.

Controls

Maze Size: 8 × 6 12 × 9 16 × 12 20 × 15 24 × 18 28 × 21 32 × 24 36 × 27 40 × 30 44 × 33 48 × 36 52 × 39 56 × 42 60 × 45 64 × 48 68 × 51 72 × 55 76 × 57 80 × 60 New Maze Solve Stop Print
Method : Systematic Keep left Keep Right Stop when solved:
Image Size: 240 × 180 400 × 300 800 × 600 1280 × 960 1600 × 1200 2000 × 1500 2560 × 1920 Print Size:

Discussion

The "Solver" colours in the background as it searches for a solution. The colours don't really mean anything, they change whenever the search algorithm is forced to backtrack a number of cells. If you would like to see what this looks like for the whole maze rather than just for the solution, turn the "stop when solved" option off.

The ssytematic version will show you the optimum route, the keep left and right versions get to the end but don't offer any insight into the shortest route.

There are two solvers:

1. The keep left and right options follow the walls, these eventually get to the exit (assuming that the maze doesn't contain any loops). without maintaining any state.
2. The systematic solver remembers the path it has taken to get to the current point and the points that it has already visited. If it reaches a dead-end it backtracks until it finds a square where it had the choice of an alternative route.