Re: Magic Scheduling Algorithms

• From: mikeburger5
• Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001 11:19:35 -0700
• Message-ID: <000THST1N.0006KR0AU.12170551-quizbowl_at_...>

Here's some easy ones:

If you have an odd
number of teams, you make the bye a pivot, and work the
other teams around it. A 7 team example ('b' stands for
bye):

b-1
2-3
4-5
6-7

Next round, rotate the non-byes
clockwise:

b-2
4-1
6-3
7-5

Continue until it's done:

b-4 b-6 b-7 b-3
b-5
6-2 7-4 3-6 5-7 1-3
7-1 3-2 5-4 1-6 2-7
3-5 5-1
1-2 2-4 4-6


A trick with even teams is to
split them in half, and first do an intergroup
round-robin, then the intra, with a final game among the
interdivisional byes. In the intergroup, rotate the left team one
position and the right one two, this gives you a diversity
of rooms as well. For the intragroup, a five team is
an easy one -- you shouldn't need a trick. For 10
teams (5th row are byes, except for the last game,
which is a game using a house packet and everybody
playing):

1-6 2-8 3-0 4-7 5-9 | 1-2 7-8 6-9 4-5 8-0 1-7
2-7
3-9 4-6 5-8 1-0 | 3-4 5-1 7-0 6-8 2-4 5-0
3-8 4-0
5-7 1-9 2-6 | 6-7 2-3 1-4 9-0 3-5 2-9
4-9 5-6 1-8
2-0 3-7 | 8-9 0-6 2-5 1-3 7-9 3-6
5x0 1x7 2x9 3x6
4x8 | 5x0 4x9 3x8 2x7 1x6 4-8

There. My
secret's exposed. Now I don't have to run another
tournament in my life. Somehow, I don't believe
that.


--Mike Burger, who actually learned how do this in SMC
153, Intramural Programs Administration, while at
Michigan.