freeCodeCamp/curriculum/challenges/english/10-coding-interview-prep/project-euler/problem-331-cross-flips.md

---
id: 5900f4b71000cf542c50ffca
title: 'Problem 331: Cross flips'
challengeType: 5
forumTopicId: 301989
---

# --description--

N×N disks are placed on a square game board. Each disk has a black side and white side.

At each turn, you may choose a disk and flip all the disks in the same row and the same column as this disk: thus 2×N-1 disks are flipped. The game ends when all disks show their white side. The following example shows a game on a 5×5 board.

It can be proven that 3 is the minimal number of turns to finish this game.

The bottom left disk on the N×N board has coordinates (0,0); the bottom right disk has coordinates (N-1,0) and the top left disk has coordinates (0,N-1).

Let CN be the following configuration of a board with N×N disks: A disk at (x,y) satisfying , shows its black side; otherwise, it shows its white side. C5 is shown above.

Let T(N) be the minimal number of turns to finish a game starting from configuration CN or 0 if configuration CN is unsolvable. We have shown that T(5)=3. You are also given that T(10)=29 and T(1 000)=395253.

Find .

# --hints--

`euler331()` should return 467178235146843500.

```js
assert.strictEqual(euler331(), 467178235146843500);
```

# --seed--

## --seed-contents--

```js
function euler331() {

  return true;
}

euler331();
```

# --solutions--

```js
// solution required
```
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
+								---
 								id: 5900f4b71000cf542c50ffca
 								title: 'Problem 331: Cross flips'
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								challengeType: 5
-												fix(curriculum): Added forumTopicId to remaining 1200 challeng… (#36558)


											
										
										
											2019-08-05 16:17:33 +00:00
+								forumTopicId: 301989
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
+								---
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								# --description--
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
+								N×N disks are placed on a square game board. Each disk has a black side and white side.
 								At each turn, you may choose a disk and flip all the disks in the same row and the same column as this disk: thus 2×N-1 disks are flipped. The game ends when all disks show their white side. The following example shows a game on a 5×5 board.
 								It can be proven that 3 is the minimal number of turns to finish this game.
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								The bottom left disk on the N×N board has coordinates (0,0); the bottom right disk has coordinates (N-1,0) and the top left disk has coordinates (0,N-1).
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								Let CN be the following configuration of a board with N×N disks: A disk at (x,y) satisfying , shows its black side; otherwise, it shows its white side. C5 is shown above.
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								Let T(N) be the minimal number of turns to finish a game starting from configuration CN or 0 if configuration CN is unsolvable. We have shown that T(5)=3. You are also given that T(10)=29 and T(1 000)=395253.
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
 								Find .
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								# --hints--
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								`euler331()` should return 467178235146843500.
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								```js
 								assert.strictEqual(euler331(), 467178235146843500);
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
+								```
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								# --seed--
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								## --seed-contents--
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
 								```js
 								function euler331() {
-												fix: remove Good luck! comment from challenge seed code (#39575)


											
										
										
											2020-09-15 16:57:40 +00:00
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
+								  return true;
 								}
 								euler331();
 								```
-												Feat: add new Markdown parser (#39800)

and change all the challenges to new `md` format.
											
										
										
											2020-11-27 18:02:05 +00:00
+								# --solutions--
-												feat(challenge-md): Add initial markdown challenge files

											
										
										
											2018-09-30 22:01:58 +00:00
 								```js
 								// solution required
 								```