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Old 04-05-2006, 03:31 PM   #19
Alex
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 13,354
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Yeah, the point value of each is determined using a second order recursive sequence (AN+1 = AN + AN-1). So essentially the point value of Block X is equal to the point value of Block (X-1)+Block (X-2). So the point value table of block sizes up to 50 is shown below.

Since the odds of getting multiple very large blocks is unlikely and a block only two or three larger will dwarf the value of the smaller block, the only point-based strategy that makes sense is to get the single largest block you can to the exclusion of any strategy for clearing the board. Essentially play it for a single block and any other small points you get along the way are incidental. scaeagles, I had the second smallest possible block that will score over a billion points, to do likewise you need at least a block of 44. I've found getting blocks of around 30 (1.6 million points) to be relatively simple (maybe 20 percent of games).

2 = 2
3 = 4
4 = 6
5 = 10
6 = 16
7 = 26
8 = 42
9 = 68
10 = 110
11 = 178
12 = 288
13 = 466
14 = 754
15 = 1,220
16 = 1,974
17 = 3,194
18 = 5,168
19 = 8,362
20 = 13,530
21 = 21,892
22 = 35,422
23 = 57,314
24 = 92,736
25 = 150,050
26 = 242,786
27 = 392,836
28 = 635,622
29 = 1,028,458
30 = 1,664,080
31 = 2,692,538
32 = 4,356,618
33 = 7,049,156
34 = 11,405,774
35 = 18,454,930
36 = 29,860,704
37 = 48,315,634
38 = 78,176,338
39 = 126,491,972
40 = 204,668,310
41 = 331,160,282
42 = 535,828,592
43 = 866,988,874
44 = 1,402,817,466
45 = 2,269,806,340
46 = 3,672,623,806
47 = 5,942,430,146
48 = 9,615,053,952
49 = 15,557,484,098
50 = 25,172,538,050
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