A representation approach to the tower of Hanoi problem

Algorithms for the Tower of Hanoi problem are often used in the introductory texts on computer programming for demonstrating the power of recursion (Hayes, 1977, Dijkstra, 1971; Dromey, 1981). Interesting though these recursive algorithms are, beginners are not always convinced that these algorithms will work until they are run. Given such recursive algorithms, it is not obvious how to move discs around until one actually steps through the programs.