Maximum Number of Steps of Topswops on 18 and 19 Cards

Abstract

Let $f(n)$ be the maximum number of steps of Topswops on $n$ cards. In this note, we report our computational experiments to determine the values of $f(18)$ and $f(19)$. By applying an algorithm developed by Knuth in a parallel fashion, we conclude that $f(18)=191$ and $f(19)=221$.

4 pages