feat:Issue #5613- Snake and Ladder Game Minimum Dice Throws Required

src/main/java/com/thealgorithms/others/SnakeAndLadder.java

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package com.thealgorithms.others;
+
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.Queue;
+import java.util.Scanner;
+
+// Java program to find the minimum number of dice throws required to reach
+// the last cell from the first cell of a given snake and ladder board.
+public final class SnakeAndLadder {
+
+    // Private constructor to prevent instantiation
+    private SnakeAndLadder() {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Utility class");
+    }
+
+    public static class QueueEntry {
+        // Cell number
+        int cell;
+        // Distance of the cell from source cell
+        int distance;
+    }
+
+    public static int getMinimumDiceThrows(int numberOfCells, int[] graph) {
+        // Array to keep track of visited cells: 0 means unvisited, 1 means visited
+        int[] visited = new int[numberOfCells];
+        for (int i = 0; i < numberOfCells; i++) {
+            visited[i] = 0;
+        }
+
+        // Inserting the source node in queue for BFS
+        Queue<QueueEntry> queue = new LinkedList<>();
+        QueueEntry startingQueueEntry = new QueueEntry();
+        startingQueueEntry.cell = 0;
+        startingQueueEntry.distance = 0;
+        visited[0] = 1;
+        queue.add(startingQueueEntry);
+
+        // Using BFS
+        QueueEntry currentQueueEntry;
+        while (!queue.isEmpty()) {
+            currentQueueEntry = queue.remove();
+
+            // Our goal is to reach the ending cell
+            if (currentQueueEntry.cell == numberOfCells - 1) {
+                return currentQueueEntry.distance;
+            }
+
+            for (int i = currentQueueEntry.cell + 1; i <= currentQueueEntry.cell + 6 && i < numberOfCells; i++) {
+                if (visited[i] == 0) {
+                    visited[i] = 1;
+                    QueueEntry queueEntry = new QueueEntry();
+                    queueEntry.distance = currentQueueEntry.distance + 1;
+
+                    // Check for snakes or ladders
+                    queueEntry.cell = (graph[i] == -1) ? i : graph[i];
+                    queue.add(queueEntry);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return -1; // Return -1 if the last cell is not reachable
+    }
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
+        System.out.print("Enter the number of cells on the board: ");
+        int numberOfCells = scanner.nextInt();
+
+        // Representation of the board as a graph
+        int[] graph = new int[numberOfCells];
+        for (int i = 0; i < numberOfCells; i++) {
+            graph[i] = -1;
+        }
+
+        System.out.print("Enter the number of snakes and ladders: ");
+        int n = scanner.nextInt();
+        System.out.println("Enter the starting cell and ending cell of each snake or ladder:");
+        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+            int start = scanner.nextInt();
+            int end = scanner.nextInt();
+            // Assign the ending position of the snake or ladder
+            graph[start - 1] = end - 1;
+        }
+
+        int result = getMinimumDiceThrows(numberOfCells, graph);
+        if (result != -1) {
+            System.out.println("Minimum number of dice throws required to end the game is " + result);
+        } else {
+            System.out.println("The last cell is not reachable.");
+        }
+
+        scanner.close();
+    }
+}