Coding Test Course, Card Game

In this article, we will address ‘card game’ related problems through a Kotlin-based algorithm problem-solving course.
We will explain in detail the theories, code examples, and various approaches necessary to solve algorithm problems.

Problem Description

A card game is a game that starts with two players each holding 5 cards.
Each player calculates their score based on the numbers on the cards.
We will describe a game where the scores of the two players are compared to determine the winner.

Problem Definition

There are two players, A and B. Each player A and B has 5 cards.
The score of the cards is based on their numbers. You need to write a program to determine which player is the winner by comparing the total scores of the two players.

Input

  • The first line contains 5 cards of player A separated by spaces.
  • The second line contains 5 cards of player B separated by spaces.

Output

  • Print the name of the player with the higher total score.
  • If the scores are the same, print “Draw”.

Example

    Input:
    3 5 2 1 4
    6 5 4 3 2

    Output:
    B

Approach to the Problem

To solve the problem, we go through the following steps:

  1. Input the cards of players A and B as lists.
  2. Calculate the scores for each player.
  3. Compare the scores to determine the winner.

Code Implementation

Below is the code written in Kotlin. 

fun main() {
        // Read input.
        val aCards = readLine()!!.split(" ").map { it.toInt() }
        val bCards = readLine()!!.split(" ").map { it.toInt() }

        // Calculate scores.
        val aScore = aCards.sum()
        val bScore = bCards.sum()

        // Determine the winner.
        when {
            aScore > bScore -> println("A")
            aScore < bScore -> println("B")
            else -> println("Draw")
        }
    }

Code Analysis

The above code performs the following functions:

  • readLine() reads the two lines of input from the user and splits them into a list of integers based on spaces.
  • Each player’s scores are calculated using the sum() method.
  • The scores are compared using the when statement, and the name of the player with the higher score is printed.

Testing and Validation

It is essential to test the code in various situations to validate that the correct output is produced based on the input.
You should consider various test cases, including edge cases such as when all cards of player A are zero.

Conclusion

In this lecture, we explored the process of solving a simple card game problem using Kotlin.
Understanding the problem, designing the algorithm, and implementing it in code are vital steps in solving algorithm problems,
which can be improved through practice with various approaches.
Keep practicing consistently and solving various problems to enhance your coding skills.

Additional Practice Problems

Try solving the following additional problems:

  • Write a program to calculate how the scoring system changes if each player holds 7 cards.
  • Implement a program to add simple rules affecting the final score through card betting for each player.

Consistent practice is essential. Best wishes for successful coding test preparation!