Super Mario Bros. presents a computational problem so complex that no computer can determine if a player can reach the end, according to research from the MIT Hardness Group.
This group, a placeholder for theoretical computer science projects from Erik Demaine's class "Algorithmic Lower Bounds: Fun with Hardness Proofs," found that solving the problem of whether Mario's quest is possible is as difficult as decoding financial transaction encryption.
Demaine, a professor of computer science and a MacArthur fellowship recipient for his work in computational geometry, also studies complexity theory, which categorizes problems by their computational resource requirements. He has a personal connection to Super Mario, having grown up playing NES games and now integrating his passion into his research.
The game's horizontally scrolling universe of platforms and pipes forms the basis for these complex computational challenges. The research highlights how seemingly simple video games can embody profound theoretical computer science problems.
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Original report
Super Mario is mathier than you think
MIT Technology Review
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