A puzzle undone, which forms a cube

Puzzle cube; a type of puzzle

A puzzle is a problem or enigma that challenges ingenuity. In a basic puzzle you piece together objects in a logical way in order to come up with the desired shape, picture or solution. Puzzles are often contrived as a form of entertainment, but they can also stem from serious mathematical or logistical problems — in such cases, their successful resolution can be a significant contribution to mathematical research. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 522 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,022 × 1,173 pixels, file size: 343 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A puzzle undone I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 522 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,022 × 1,173 pixels, file size: 343 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A puzzle undone I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... A cube[1] is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 523 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,022 × 1,171 pixels, file size: 54 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A picture of a puzzle cube I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 523 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,022 × 1,171 pixels, file size: 54 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A picture of a puzzle cube I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Look up puzzle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Normal science is a concept originated by Thomas Samuel Kuhn and elaborated in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. ... Look up Problem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up enigma in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term ingenuity or applied ideas is used in the analysis of Thomas Homer-Dixon, building on that of Paul Michael Romer, to refer to what is usually called instructional capital. ... This article is about the concept. ...

Solutions to puzzles may require recognizing patterns and creating a particular order. People with a high inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving these puzzles than others. Puzzles based on the process of inquiry and discovery to complete may be solved faster by those with good deduction skills. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Inductive reasoning is a measureable aptitude for how well a person can identify a pattern within a large amount of data. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Look up deduction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

History

The first book of crossword puzzles appeared in 1924, 11 years after the first crossword puzzle was published.

In the early 1900s, magazines and newspapers found that they could increase their daily subscriptions by publishing puzzle contests. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Crossword Puzzle was the second to last album made by The Partridge Family, and was not one of the most popular albums. ... Puzzle contests are popular competitions in which the objective is to solve a puzzle within a given time limit, and to obtain the best possible score among all players. ...

Contemporary puzzles

A sample of notable puzzle authors includes Sam Loyd, Henry Dudeney, Boris Kordemsky and, more recently, David J. Bodycombe, Will Shortz and Martin Gardner. Samuel Loyd (January 31, 1841 - April 10, 1911) was an American puzzle author and recreational mathematician. ... Henry Ernest Dudeney (10 April 1857 – 24 April 1930) was an English author and mathematician who specialised in logic puzzles and mathematical games. ... David J. Bodycombe (born 1973) is a puzzle author and games consultant working in the UK, mainly on television and radio game shows (such as The Crystal Maze and X Marks the Spot), in newspapers (such as Metros Think Tank column) and many puzzle books. ... Will Shortz (b. ... Martin Gardner (b. ...

There are organizations and events catering puzzle enthusiasts such as the International Puzzle Party, the World Puzzle Championship and the National Puzzlers' League. There are also Puzzlehunts like Maze of Games. The International Puzzle Party (commonly known as IPP) is an annual meeting of mechanical puzzle enthusiasts to discuss, share, and trade mechanical puzzles. ... The World Puzzle Championship is an annual international puzzle competition run by the World Puzzle Federation. ... The National Puzzlers League (NPL) is a nonprofit organization focused on puzzling, primarily in the realm of word play and word games. ... The Maze of Games is Americas largest annual puzzlehunt, and is held at the Gen Con and Origins gaming conventions. ...

The Rubik's Cube and other magic polyhedrons are toys based on puzzles that can be stimulating toys for kids and are a recreational activity for adults. Puzzles can be used to hide or obscure objects. A good example is a puzzle box used to hide jewelry. Variations of Rubiks Cubes (from left to right: Rubiks Revenge, Rubiks Cube, Professors Cube, & Pocket Cube). ... Magic polyhedron is a term for a specific type of puzzle also known as twisty puzzles, the most popular of which is Rubiks Cube. ... A teddy bear A toy is an object used in play. ... Puzzle boxes (also alled trick boxes) have a long tradition. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ...

Games are often based on a puzzle. For example there are thousands of computer puzzle games and many letter games, word games and mathematical games which require solutions to puzzles as part of the gameplay. One of the most popular puzzle games is Tetris. In video games, jumping puzzles are common. For other uses, see Game (disambiguation). ... Minesweeper, a popular computer puzzle game found on many machines. ... A letter game involves the exchange of written letters, or e-mails, between two or more participants. ... A word game or word puzzle can be of several different types: // [edit] Letter arrangement games The goal is to form words out of given letters. ... Mathematical games shares topics with recreational mathematics and discusses the mathematics of games. ... Tetris (Russian: ) is a falling-blocks puzzle video game, released on a large spectrum of platforms. ... Jumping puzzles are sequences in computer and video games, particularly in the genre of platformers, where the player is required to use jumping to proceed, often in a manner that requires precise timing or landing in an exact manner. ...

A chess problem is a puzzle that uses chess pieces on a chess board. Godfrey Heathcote Hampstead and Highgate Express, 1905-06 (First Prize) White to move and mate in two. ...

Types of puzzles

The large number of puzzles that have been created can be divided into categories, for example a maze is a type of tour puzzle. Other categories include construction puzzles, stick puzzles, tiling puzzles, transport puzzles, disentanglement puzzles, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles, word puzzles, picture puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, lock puzzles, folding puzzles, and mechanical puzzles. For other uses, see Maze (disambiguation). ... In tour puzzles the player of the puzzle makes a trip around a (not necessarily two-dimensional) board using a token which represents a traveller. ... In a construction puzzle you have to built (assemble) a technical contraption. ... Stick puzzles use sets of polysticks which have to be assembled into two- or three-dimensional configurations. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Transport puzzles are logistical puzzles, which represent real-life transport problems. ... A ball-in-cage puzzle in unsolved form The same puzzle in solved form Disentanglement puzzles usually have two different tasks to be solved, namely first to disassemble the puzzle and then to put it together again. ... Sliding puzzles or sliding block puzzles challenge a player to slide usually flat pieces along certain routes (usually on a board) to establish a certain end-configuration. ... A logic puzzle is a puzzle deriving from the mathematics field of deduction. ... A puzzle is a problem or enigma presented as entertainment; that is written down, acted out, etc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the Rolling Stones song, see Jigsaw Puzzle A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces. ... A lock puzzles is a type of mechanical puzzle. ... A mechanical puzzle is a puzzle presented as a set of mechanically interlinked pieces. ...

A meta-puzzle is a puzzle which unites or incorporates elements of other puzzles. It is often found in puzzlehunts. Meta-puzzle is a puzzle that unites several puzzles that feed into it. ... Promotional poster for the 2003 Manbites Dog puzzle hunt A puzzlehunt is a puzzle-cum-game where teams compete to solve a series of puzzles, usually leading to a final answer or goal. ...

Well-known puzzles

Rubik's Cube.

Anagrams Connect the dots Crossword Eight queens n-puzzle (a.k.a. Fifteen puzzle) Impossible Jigsaw Kakuro Knight's Tour Missing square puzzle Nonograms (a.k.a. Gridders, Paint by numbers, etc.) Peg solitaire Puzz-3D

Rubik's Cube Sangaku Seven Bridges of Königsberg Slitherlink Sudoku Sokoban Soma cube Spot the difference Tangram Water, gas, and electricity Three cups problem Tower of Hanoi Whodunit

Image File history File links This is my Rubiks Cube in scrambled state. ... Image File history File links This is my Rubiks Cube in scrambled state. ... Variations of Rubiks Cubes (from left to right: Rubiks Revenge, Rubiks Cube, Professors Cube, & Pocket Cube). ... For the game, see Anagrams. ... Connect the dots puzzle for adults. ... A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square grid of black and white squares. ... One possible solution The eight queens puzzle is the problem of putting eight chess queens on an 8×8 chessboard such that none of them is able to capture any other using the standard chess queens moves. ... A solved 15-puzzle The n-puzzle is known in various versions, including the 8 puzzle, the 15 puzzle, and with various names. ... An impossible puzzle is a puzzle that cannot be solved by following the directions or criteria for that puzzle An example of an impossible puzzle is a puzzle that might be familiar to you. ... For the Rolling Stones song, see Jigsaw Puzzle A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces. ... Easy Cross Sums puzzle The Cross Sums is a very common type of logic puzzle that is often referred to as a mathematical transliteration of the crossword. ... An open knights tour of a chessboard The Knights tour as solved by The Turk, a chess-playing machine hoax. ... The missing square puzzle is an optical illusion used in mathematics classes, to help students reason about geometrical figures. ... For the artistic activity, see Paint by number. ... English peg solitaire board European peg solitaire board Peg Solitaire is a board game for one player involving movement of pegs on a board with holes. ... Puzz-3D is a three-dimensional puzzle manufactured by Wrebbit, Inc. ... Variations of Rubiks Cubes (from left to right: Rubiks Revenge, Rubiks Cube, Professors Cube, & Pocket Cube). ... Sangaku or San Gaku (算額; lit. ... Map of Königsberg in Eulers time showing the actual layout of the seven bridges, highlighting the river Pregolya and the bridges. ... Moderately difficult Slitherlink puzzle (solution) Slitherlink (also known as Fences, Takegaki, Loop the Loop, Ouroboros and Dotty Dilemma) is a logic puzzle published by Nikoli. ... This article is about the logic puzzle. ... KSokoban, an implementation of Sokoban for GNU/Linux. ... The pieces of a Soma cube (with extra coloring) The same puzzle, assembled into a cube The Soma cube is a solid dissection puzzle created by Piet Hein during a lecture on quantum mechanics by Werner Heisenberg. ... Example of a spot the difference puzzle. ... A typical tangram construction Tangram (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally seven boards of cunning) is a Dissection puzzle. ... The classical mathematical puzzle known as water, gas, and electricity, the (three) utilities problem, or sometimes the three cottage problem, can be stated as follows: Suppose there are three cottages on a plane (or sphere) and each needs to be connected to the gas, water, and electric companies. ... Starting with three cups place one upside down and two right side up. ... A model set of the Towers of Hanoi (with 8 disks) An animated solution of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle for T(4,3). ... A whodunit or whodunnit (for Who done it? and sometimes referred to as a Golden Age Mystery novel) is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is paramount. ...

Etymology

The 1989 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary dates the word puzzle (as a verb) to the end of the 16th century. That first documented use comes from a book called The Voyage of Robert Dudley...to the West Indies, 1594-95, narrated by Capt. Wyatt, by himself, and by Abram Kendall, master (published circa 1595). The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of... It has been suggested that Verbal agreement be merged into this article or section. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Robert Dudley (7 August 1574 Sheen Palace, Surrey – 6 September 1649 Florence) was the son of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and the author of DellArcano del Mare. ...

Their research, based on the "chronology of the words, and still more the consideration of their sense-history, seem[s] to make it clear that the verb came first, and that the noun was its derivative."

Related categories

• Category:Puzzle books
• Category:Puzzle designers
• Category:Puzzle video games

See also

Look up puzzle in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Puzzles

• List of puzzle topics
• List of impossible puzzles
• List of puzzle-based computer and video games
• Brain teaser
• Dilemma
• Optical illusion
• Paradox
• Riddle

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 150 languages. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... This is a list of puzzle topics, by Wikipedia page. ... This is a list of puzzles which have been proven impossible. ... This is a partial list of puzzle-based computer games and video games, sorted by general category. ... A brain teaser is a form of puzzle that involves a lot of thinking (mental/cognitive activity). ... Look up Dilemma in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the Nelly song, see Dilemma (song). ... An optical illusion. ... Look up paradox in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A riddle is a statement or question having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. ...

References

• Creative Puzzles of the World, 1980, Plenary Publications International
• Denkspiele Der Welt, München 1977,1981, Heinrich Hugendubel Verlag

External links

• The Jerry Slocum Mechanical Puzzle Collection consists of over 30,000 mechanical puzzles of puzzle enthusiast and collector Jerry Slocum. Presented by the Lilly Library of Indiana University.
• The puzzle archive of the rec.puzzles newsgroup
• Puzzles at the Open Directory Project