iterative is always faster than recursive

README.md

@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ Solutions for [Advent of Code](https://adventofcode.com/) in [Rust](https://www.
 | [Day 20](./src/bin/20.rs) | `323.9µs` | `1.2ms` |
 | [Day 21](./src/bin/21.rs) | `64.1µs` | `494.7µs` |
 | [Day 22](./src/bin/22.rs) | `78.3µs` | `194.8µs` |
-| [Day 23](./src/bin/23.rs) | `330.7µs` | `67.4ms` |
+| [Day 23](./src/bin/23.rs) | `330.4µs` | `23.9ms` |
 
-**Total: 84.34ms**
+**Total: 40.84ms**
 <!--- benchmarking table --->
 
 ---

src/bin/23.rs

@@ -46,36 +46,22 @@ pub fn part_two(input: &str) -> Option<u16> {
         goal = new_goal;
     }
 
-    Some(trimmed_length + part_two_recursive_brute_force(&graph, start, goal, 1 << start, 0))
-}
-
-fn part_two_recursive_brute_force(
-    graph: &Graph,
-    cur: usize,
-    goal: usize,
-    visited: u64,
-    so_far: u16,
-) -> u16 {
-    if cur == goal {
-        return so_far;
-    }
-
-    let mut max = 0;
-    for &(neighbor, cost) in &graph.adjacency[cur] {
-        let neighbor_bit = 1 << neighbor;
-        if (visited & neighbor_bit) == 0 {
-            let next_so_far = part_two_recursive_brute_force(
-                graph,
-                neighbor,
-                goal,
-                visited | neighbor_bit,
-                so_far + cost,
-            );
-            max = max.max(next_so_far);
+    // Now do a simple exhaustive DFS search to find the longest path
+    // to the goal (and add in the amount we trimmed).
+    let mut stack = Vec::new();
+    stack.push((start, 1 << start, 0));
+    let mut best = 0;
+    while let Some((cur, visited, so_far)) = stack.pop() {
+        for &(neighbor, cost) in &graph.adjacency[cur] {
+            if neighbor == goal {
+                best = best.max(so_far + cost);
+            } else if visited & (1 << neighbor) == 0 {
+                stack.push((neighbor, visited | (1 << neighbor), so_far + cost));
+            }
         }
     }
 
-    max
+    Some(trimmed_length + best)
 }
 
 fn build_graph(input: &str, obey_slopes: bool) -> (Graph, usize, usize) {