Try this logic programming example to learn how to solve the problem of arranging X’s and O’s on a three-dimensional Tic-Tac-Toe board so as to minimize the number of completed lines or diagonals. This example will show you how a binary programming model can be used to capture simple logical constraints.

This is example 17 from the fifth edition of Model Building in Mathematical Programming by H. Paul Williams on pages 272 and 327 – 328.

This modeling example is at the beginning level. We assume that you have some familiarity with Python and the Gurobi Python API, but you can hopefully pick up any missing concepts from the example.

Access the Jupyter Notebook Modeling Example

Click on the button below to access the example in Google Colab, which is a free, online Jupyter Notebook environment that allows you to write and execute Python code through your browser. 

How to Run the Example

  • To run the example the first time, choose “Runtime” and then click “Run all”.
  • All the cells in the Jupyter Notebook will be executed.
  • The example will install the gurobipy package, which includes a limited Gurobi license that allows you to solve small models.
  • You can also modify and re-run individual cells.
  • For subsequent runs, choose “Runtime” and click “Restart and run all”.
  • The Gurobi Optimizer will find the optimal solution of the modeling example.

Check out the Colab Getting Started Guide for full details on how to use Colab Notebooks as well as create your own.

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