# woodworking

Published articles for woodworking.

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## Why Dynamic Programming Failed for a Woodworking Project

DevFeed: [Why Dynamic Programming Failed for a Woodworking Project](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/dynamic-programming-fail-40509.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.jeremykun.com/shortform/2024-09-12-1502/>)

Published: 2024-09-12T22:02:05Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Jeremy Kun](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jeremy-kun.md>)

Topics: [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>), [Algorithms](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/algorithms.md>)

Tags: [algorithms](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/algorithms.md>), [dynamic-programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dynamic-programming.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [shortform](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/shortform.md>), [woodworking](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/woodworking.md>)

### AI overview

The author describes applying a dynamic programming approach to determine how 2x4 and 2x6 planks could fill a shed floor width. Variations in actual lumber dimensions and board straightness made the exact calculation unreliable, so the author ripped the final board to fit. The experience is presented as a practical contrast to idealized exact-coin-change problems in introductory algorithms courses.

### Source excerpt

This is a story about a failure to apply dynamic programming to a woodworking project. I've been building a shed in my backyard, and for one section I decided to build the floor by laying 2x4 planks side by side. I didn't feel the need to join them with tongue-and-groove, but I did notice that using 2x4s alone wouldn't fit the width they were supposed to fill. I also had some 2x6 boards left over from a different part of the shed, and I realized that gave a neat dynamic programming problem: Can you fill a given width by laying planks of standard dimensional lumber?