Game

Vector Racer

Age
11 to 16
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star



Printable sheets: Instructions, race track 1, race track 2 (avoid the pits)

 

To play this game, you will need to print off a copy of the race track, and you will need someone to play with.



 

Image
Vector Racer

 

 

Rules:

Each player moves in turn, and uses vector notation to describe their moves around the race track.

Each player starts off from rest.

Each horizontal and vertical component cannot differ by more than two from the previous move.

For example, after a move of $\pmatrix{0\cr 2}$ the following moves are possible:

 

$\pmatrix{-2\cr 0}$$\pmatrix{-1\cr 0}$$\pmatrix{0\cr 0}$$\pmatrix{1\cr 0}$$\pmatrix{2\cr 0}$
$\pmatrix{-2\cr 1}$$\pmatrix{-1\cr 1}$$\pmatrix{0\cr 1}$$\pmatrix{1\cr 1}$$\pmatrix{2\cr 1}$
$\pmatrix{-2\cr 2}$$\pmatrix{-1\cr 2}$$\pmatrix{0\cr 2}$$\pmatrix{1\cr 2}$$\pmatrix{2\cr 2}$
$\pmatrix{-2\cr 3}$$\pmatrix{-1\cr 3}$$\pmatrix{0\cr 3}$$\pmatrix{1\cr 3}$$\pmatrix{2\cr 3}$
$\pmatrix{-2\cr 4}$$\pmatrix{-1\cr 4}$$\pmatrix{0\cr 4}$$\pmatrix{1\cr 4}$$\pmatrix{2\cr 4}$



Challenge a friend to a race.

Choose your starting positions and agree what the penalty will be for going off the track.

Who can get round in the fewest moves?

 

”‹Here is an alternative version you might like to try.

The challenge is to avoid the pits



Extension:

Who can get round in the shortest distance?