feat: add solution for Project Euler problem 144 (TheAlgorithms#4280)

* Added solution for Project Euler problem 144

* updating DIRECTORY.md

* Better variable names

* updating DIRECTORY.md

Co-authored-by: github-actions <${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: fpringle

DIRECTORY.md

@@ -788,6 +788,8 @@
     * [Sol1](https://github.com/TheAlgorithms/Python/blob/master/project_euler/problem_129/sol1.py)
   * Problem 135
     * [Sol1](https://github.com/TheAlgorithms/Python/blob/master/project_euler/problem_135/sol1.py)
+  * Problem 144
+    * [Sol1](https://github.com/TheAlgorithms/Python/blob/master/project_euler/problem_144/sol1.py)
   * Problem 173
     * [Sol1](https://github.com/TheAlgorithms/Python/blob/master/project_euler/problem_173/sol1.py)
   * Problem 174

project_euler/problem_144/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+"""
+In laser physics, a "white cell" is a mirror system that acts as a delay line for the
+laser beam. The beam enters the cell, bounces around on the mirrors, and eventually
+works its way back out.
+
+The specific white cell we will be considering is an ellipse with the equation
+4x^2 + y^2 = 100
+
+The section corresponding to −0.01 ≤ x ≤ +0.01 at the top is missing, allowing the
+light to enter and exit through the hole.
+
+The light beam in this problem starts at the point (0.0,10.1) just outside the white
+cell, and the beam first impacts the mirror at (1.4,-9.6).
+
+Each time the laser beam hits the surface of the ellipse, it follows the usual law of
+reflection "angle of incidence equals angle of reflection." That is, both the incident
+and reflected beams make the same angle with the normal line at the point of incidence.
+
+In the figure on the left, the red line shows the first two points of contact between
+the laser beam and the wall of the white cell; the blue line shows the line tangent to
+the ellipse at the point of incidence of the first bounce.
+
+The slope m of the tangent line at any point (x,y) of the given ellipse is: m = −4x/y
+
+The normal line is perpendicular to this tangent line at the point of incidence.
+
+The animation on the right shows the first 10 reflections of the beam.
+
+How many times does the beam hit the internal surface of the white cell before exiting?
+"""
+
+
+from math import isclose, sqrt
+
+
+def next_point(
+    point_x: float, point_y: float, incoming_gradient: float
+) -> tuple[float, float, float]:
+    """
+    Given that a laser beam hits the interior of the white cell at point
+    (point_x, point_y) with gradient incoming_gradient, return a tuple (x,y,m1)
+    where the next point of contact with the interior is (x,y) with gradient m1.
+    >>> next_point(5.0, 0.0, 0.0)
+    (-5.0, 0.0, 0.0)
+    >>> next_point(5.0, 0.0, -2.0)
+    (0.0, -10.0, 2.0)
+    """
+    # normal_gradient = gradient of line through which the beam is reflected
+    # outgoing_gradient = gradient of reflected line
+    normal_gradient = point_y / 4 / point_x
+    s2 = 2 * normal_gradient / (1 + normal_gradient * normal_gradient)
+    c2 = (1 - normal_gradient * normal_gradient) / (
+        1 + normal_gradient * normal_gradient
+    )
+    outgoing_gradient = (s2 - c2 * incoming_gradient) / (c2 + s2 * incoming_gradient)
+
+    # to find the next point, solve the simultaeneous equations:
+    # y^2 + 4x^2 = 100
+    # y - b = m * (x - a)
+    # ==> A x^2 + B x + C = 0
+    quadratic_term = outgoing_gradient ** 2 + 4
+    linear_term = 2 * outgoing_gradient * (point_y - outgoing_gradient * point_x)
+    constant_term = (point_y - outgoing_gradient * point_x) ** 2 - 100
+
+    x_minus = (
+        -linear_term - sqrt(linear_term ** 2 - 4 * quadratic_term * constant_term)
+    ) / (2 * quadratic_term)
+    x_plus = (
+        -linear_term + sqrt(linear_term ** 2 - 4 * quadratic_term * constant_term)
+    ) / (2 * quadratic_term)
+
+    # two solutions, one of which is our input point
+    next_x = x_minus if isclose(x_plus, point_x) else x_plus
+    next_y = point_y + outgoing_gradient * (next_x - point_x)
+
+    return next_x, next_y, outgoing_gradient
+
+
+def solution(first_x_coord: float = 1.4, first_y_coord: float = -9.6) -> int:
+    """
+    Return the number of times that the beam hits the interior wall of the
+    cell before exiting.
+    >>> solution(0.00001,-10)
+    1
+    >>> solution(5, 0)
+    287
+    """
+    num_reflections: int = 0
+    point_x: float = first_x_coord
+    point_y: float = first_y_coord
+    gradient: float = (10.1 - point_y) / (0.0 - point_x)
+
+    while not (-0.01 <= point_x <= 0.01 and point_y > 0):
+        point_x, point_y, gradient = next_point(point_x, point_y, gradient)
+        num_reflections += 1
+
+    return num_reflections
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    print(f"{solution() = }")