Algorithms for the Traveling Salesman Problem visualized

The Traveling Salesman Problem is a popular puzzle that asks for the shortest route between a set of points such that you visit each point once and end up back where you started. The problem is trivial for a few points, but it gets tricky as you add more. Here are are a few of the strategies in action.

See also this interactive simulation.

Or, you can try using genetic algorithms. [via kottke]