I’ve just started studying mathematics at the University of Helsinki, where one of the compulsory first-period courses is called Linear Algebra and Matrix Calculation. It deals with, amongst other things, vectors, and that is what leads me on to this game.
In the racetrack game, you attempt to complete one lap of a track on squared paper using vector movement. There is an important restriction, however: you can only accelerate or decelerate by one square per direction (X and Y) per turn. So if your first move is one up and one right, your next move can be either 0, 1 or 2 right, and either 0, 1 or 2 up. If you decide to move (2,2), then even if you decelerate on the next turn, you will still be forced to move up and right by one square. That gives the game a cursory connection to real life physics; if you’ve been accelerating too fast down a straight, for example, you might not be able to make the turn at the end of it.
If that explanation wasn’t detailed enough for you, check out the game’s Wikipedia page.
The game has an online version, which I am sharing on this forum because it contains a number of past and present F1 tracks :) You can try your hand against AI or other players at Monaco, Zandvoort, Bahrain, Hockenheim, Spa, Interlagos and Monza. You might want to start off with one of the simpler tracks if you are new to the game, though, as it’s more difficult than it appears! Once you’re really up to speed, you can create your own track and import it into the game.
Have a go and tell me what you think! There’s no online multiplayer version, sadly, but we can share our track records here :)
