Las Vegas algorithm

Okay kiddo, have you ever played a game where you have to guess a number between 1 and 100? Well, the Las Vegas Algorithm is a way we can guess the correct number in the shortest amount of time possible.

Let’s pretend that the correct number is between 1 and 100. We’ll start by guessing 50 - half way between 1 and 100. If we are right, we win! But, if the correct number is less than 50, we know it has to be between 1 and 49. So, we’ll guess again, but this time we’ll choose 25, which is half way between 1 and 49.

If the correct number is still less than our new guess of 25, we know it must be between 1 and 24. So, we’ll choose 12, which is half way between 1 and 24. We’ll keep doing this until we get the exact number.

On the other hand, if the correct number is higher than our guess of 50, we repeat the process above but this time, from 51 and 100.

The Las Vegas Algorithm is a bit like playing reverse hot and cold. We use our previous guesses to refine our next guess, just like an explorer in a maze uses their knowledge of the rooms they’ve already been to, to decide which path to take next.

So there you have it, kiddo. The Las Vegas Algorithm is simply a very clever way to guess the correct number quickly, using a process of elimination!