Part 1
In the first part of this challenge, the goal is to determine the output produced by a given program running on a simple 3-bit computer. The program consists of 3-bit opcodes followed by operands, which modify the state of three registers (A, B, and C). Each opcode corresponds to a different instruction that operates on the registers in specific ways. The algorithm simulates the execution of the program by processing each instruction, updating the registers, and capturing any output generated by out instructions. The program halts when it reaches the end or when a jump instruction directs the program to a different point in the program. By carefully simulating each instruction and applying the correct logic for the operands, the solution outputs the values generated by out instructions in the program.
Part 2
In the second part of the challenge, the objective is to determine the minimum value that the A register can have while still producing the same output as the original program. This involves reverse engineering the program’s behavior by iterating through possible values of the A register and testing which values yield the same output. The algorithm systematically changes the value of the A register, simulates the program, and checks if the output matches the expected result. By adjusting the value of the A register and tracking the results, the solution identifies the minimum value for A that will produce the correct output. This process involves iterating through the program, testing different configurations, and ensuring that the output matches the desired sequence. The result is the minimum A register value that still leads to the same program output.