From sgula@bellatlantic.net.remove.invalid Thu Sep 4 17:08:30 CDT 2003 Article: 243068 of sci.math Path: news!husk.cso.niu.edu!arclight.uoregon.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!cyclone.bc.net!in.100proofnews.com!in.100proofnews.com!cycny01.gnilink.net!cyclone1.gnilink.net!spamkiller2.gnilink.net!nwrdny03.gnilink.net.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail From: "Stan Gula" Newsgroups: sci.math References: <0PK5b.8572$tw6.7320@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net> Subject: Re: Freecell Lines: 16 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 Message-ID: Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 18:42:42 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 141.154.162.25 X-Complaints-To: abuse@verizon.net X-Trace: nwrdny03.gnilink.net 1062700962 141.154.162.25 (Thu, 04 Sep 2003 14:42:42 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2003 14:42:42 EDT Xref: news sci.math:243068 "Jon Cosby" wrote in message news:0PK5b.8572$tw6.7320@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net... > Windows Freecell makes the statement "It is believed (although not proven) > that every game is winnable." Now, the Windows version -only- includes one > million possible deals, not every possible deal that could be generated. > From playing the game frequently, I doubt this claim is true, but I suppose > it's possible. What I'm wondering is might it be possible to prove that a > given hand is winnable, short of playing it out? > > Jon Cosby There are lists of games (even in Microsoft's subset of all possible games) that aren't winnable. See for more info: www.freecell.org