Day 2: Part 1

Problem Description

The task was to determine the total score based on a series of game rounds, where each round's outcome affects the total score. The scoring system is defined by specific rules that map the outcomes to numerical values.

Approach

To solve this problem, I implemented the following steps:
1. Input Reading: I read the input data from a file, which contains the outcomes of each game round.
2. Scoring Mapping: I created a dictionary to map each possible outcome to its corresponding score. This allows for quick lookups when processing each round.
3. Iterate Through Rounds: I iterated through each round's outcome, using the dictionary to retrieve the score for each outcome and accumulating the total score.
4. Output: Finally, I printed the total score after processing all rounds.

This approach is efficient and leverages Python's dictionary for fast lookups.

Key Insights

• Using dictionaries for mapping outcomes to scores simplifies the logic and makes the code more readable.
• Iterating through the input data efficiently is key to maintaining performance.

Concepts and Algorithms Used

• Input Handling: Reading from files and processing strings.
• Data Structures: Dictionaries for mapping outcomes to scores.
• Algorithms: Iteration and accumulation of scores.