Puzzle Definition and 618 Threads

A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzle. There are different genres of puzzles, such as crossword puzzles, word-search puzzles, number puzzles, relational puzzles, and logic puzzles.
Puzzles are often created to be a form of entertainment but they can also arise from serious mathematical or logical problems. In such cases, their solution may be a significant contribution to mathematical research.

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  1. T

    MHB Tricky Logic Puzzle with 26 Variables

    Can you figure out what the answer of (x-a)(x-b)(x-c)...(x-z) is? This problem seems very tricky and you might think you need to expand one by one, but if you think carefully, you will find out that the answer is very simple! Solution:
  2. Jehannum

    I Can the Ionians continue counting indefinitely while following their four rules?

    The society on Jupiter's moon Io has a very odd way of counting. They count in binary using special counters: small discs with 0 printed on one side and 1 on the other. To increase speed when counting they made a rule: Rule #1: To get the next number in the sequence, only one counter can be...
  3. B

    MHB Puzzle Game - How Many Combinations - How Long To Solve

    For this puzzle game: MillionPuzzleGame.com I'd like to check I worked out the number of combinations correctly. Also, how long would a computer take to solve it?
  4. G

    B Speed of Light Puzzle: Is c a Localized Value?

    Hello - I'm posting this here because of a discussion I got into on another forum following the recent death of Stephen Hawking. I should stress that I am by no stretch of the imagination a physicist (though I did do modules on special relativity and quantum mechanics as part of my maths degree...
  5. Derek P

    Interference puzzle - Where does the energy go?

    A laser beam is split into two identical beams which impinge on a half-silvered surface from opposite sides. The reflected wave is out of phase with the transmitted wave. There is destructive interference on both outputs. Where does the energy go? See my avatar - I can't upload my own picture...
  6. T

    Solving a Mathematical Puzzle: Ways to Fill an Odiosis Board

    Hi, First of all, I'm not sure what section to put this in, so if this is in the wrong section, please accept my most sincere apologies. I'm trying to solve this puzzle I've come against, and I'm not quite sure what the best way to go about it is. Here's the question. So, it seems to me...
  7. Mark44

    Challenge Math Trick Puzzle: Amuse Your Nephew with This Trick!

    From a thread by @Harsha Avinash Tanti that was closed. This is an interesting puzzle, so I have started a new thread with the puzzle posed in the other thread. I have added numbers (in red) to help with the explanation. The numbers were not in the original post. Here's how the trick works. You...
  8. lfdahl

    MHB Prove 2x2 Matrix Puzzle: No $S$ Exists for $S^n$

    Prove, that there is no $2 \times 2$ matrix, $S$, such that \[S^n= \begin{pmatrix} 0 & 1\\ 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}\] for any integer $n \geq 2$.
  9. The Bill

    I What are the groups for NxNxN puzzle cubes called?

    The group of moves for the 3x3x3 puzzle cube is the Rubik’s Cube group: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik%27s_Cube_group. What are the groups of moves for NxNxN puzzle cubes called in general? Is there even a standardized term? I've been trying to find literature on the groups for the...
  10. P

    Are Physicists better math puzzle solvers than mathematicans?

    This might appear absurd but concidering that math students are so preoccupied with acquring a deeper understanding of mathematics, most of the undergraduate exams are actually not problem solving math per se, but actually "proof of concept" type of excercises (quite different from solving...
  11. B

    I "Banana clock shapes" puzzle on social media

    I looked for an answer to this question other places but found none. There is a puzzle going around that people are getting the answer wrong to. No surprise there. According to the proofs I found for it on the internet, my assumptions were true and I did arrive at the right answer (38...
  12. C

    MHB Find Car B's Initial Velocity: A Physics Puzzle

    Dear Every one, Two cars approach an extremely icy four-way perpendicular intersection. Car A travels northward at 12 m/s and car B is traveling eastward. They collide and stick together, traveling at 40.1° north of east. What was the initial velocity of car B (in m/s)? (Enter the magnitude...
  13. andrewkirk

    Challenge Origami Puzzle Challenge

    RULES: 1) In order for a solution to count, a full derivation or proof must be given. Answers with no proof will be ignored. 2) It is fine to use nontrivial results without proof as long as you cite them and as long as it is "common knowledge to all mathematicians". Whether the latter is...
  14. W

    I What is the solution to the Binary puzzle in World of Warcraft?

    Hi there. There is currently a Binary puzzle being solved in the game Word Of Warcraft. In the puzzle, there are 10 levers which can each be placed in 9 different positions 1-9. So for example, the solution may be 1459275918. So far the community is stumped. The code given is below, I would...
  15. jedishrfu

    B Great Magic Triangle Math Puzzle

    This is quite an interesting puzzle. You know it's wrong but you don't know why by inspection: http://twistedsifter.com/2017/07/profs-use-this-puzzle-to-teach-lesson-about-problem-solving/ Can you figure out an easy way to inspect it? I spotted one way.
  16. F

    Does Rotating a Gas Container Increase Its Temperature?

    If I place an insulated container of gas on the edge of a turntable and then rotate the container as a constant angular velocity, what happens to the gas? Does the temperature of the gas increase? If so, how was work done on the gas?
  17. bland

    B Why is the low entropic state of the early universe a puzzle

    I often find that in books or lectures discussing the arrow of time and entropy and trying to explain how we have such complexity that the explanation is that when the universe was in it's early stage and was just a relatively small ball of apparently high entropy gas that it was in fact very...
  18. M

    A Probability of Surface Realization Above Black Line in Gaussian Process Puzzle

    I am looking at a surface where the height is described by a zero-mean gaussian process with cov(h_1,h_2)=\sigma^2\exp[-0.5\frac{(x_1-x_2)}{a^2}]. Given that h(x=0) = 0, what is the probability that a surface realization will go above the black line going from x=0 to infinity in the figure...
  19. B

    MHB Year 7 & 8 mathematics puzzle solve (1−1/2)(1−1/3)....(1−1/2017)=x

    This will be fairly easy to do, even in the eyes of a Year 7 Find x when $$\left({1-\frac{1}{2}}\right)\left({1-\frac{1}{3}}\right)...\left({1-\frac{1}{2017}}\right)=x$$ Remember: Year 7 and 8 maths only!
  20. L

    MHB Is the Plane MKPN Possible Inside Pyramid ABCD?

    Good morning (or evening), I have a geometrical tricky question, which I need your assistance with. Look at the following sketch: In the sketch you see a pyramid ABCD. Inside the space of ABCD, you see a plane MKPN, where M, K, P and N are points on the pyramid sides. Using the axioms of...
  21. doktorwho

    Help writing a program (crossword puzzle)

    Homework Statement I am supposed to write a program in C that does the following: It creates a 2d array from your specifications and as inputs takes only letters 'a' to 'z', 'A' to 'Z' and '*' and nothing else. It should immediately exit if something else is inputed. This array represents a...
  22. D

    MHB How Can I Optimize My Credit Card Debt with Balance Transfers and Limited Funds?

    Hi Guys - this is probably going to be an easy one for you but will really help me out in a real life situation. Here goes I have 4 credit cards A, B, C and D Card A has a balance of £6258 and a limit of £8500. It currently attracts 0% interest but that will end next month. They will offer 20...
  23. Greg Bernhardt

    B How many numbers can you make with four 4s?

    Say you've got four 4s -- 4, 4, 4, 4 -- and you're allowed to place any normal math symbols around them. How many different numbers can you make? It's best to think of a number and then try to make it. The origination of the puzzle and some examples are in this video
  24. D

    Which one will fill up first puzzle

    Hi all, I'd like as many opinions as possible please as this seemingly simple question has caused quite some discussion on Facebook. Very grateful for any contributions. http://www.bikersoracle.com/pics/fillquiz.jpg
  25. L

    Math puzzle: combinations of digits

    My 10 year old daughter was given this maths puzzle and I'm sure to you guys it would be pretty easy. You have 5 numbers 1,2,3,4,5 Ho many possible combinations are there possibe for 1 digit combos,2 digit combos, 3 digit combos, 4 digit combos, and 5 digit combos. The numbers cannot repeat at...
  26. D

    Solving the Car Crash Puzzle: Newtons 2nd Law

    I've been trying to study for my final and I can't seem to figure out how is this suppose to work. 1. Homework Statement A wall (m infinite, v=0) hits a car (m=2600 kg; v=142 km/h). The car becomes deformed and the crush zone (0.7 m) is compressed. Calculate the corresponding acceleration...
  27. G

    B Electron diffraction experiment puzzle

    In classical Physics wave theory (GCSE level) we talk about waves diffracting through a gap if the gap is similar size to (or smaller than) the wavelength of the waves. When firing fast electrons at a carbon target (teltron tube A level type apparatus) is it sufficient to say that if the de...
  28. M

    Solve the Puzzle: Find the Check Amount

    Homework Statement I am trying to solve the following puzzle. The problem is that there are two unknowns and I could come up with only one equation. A man went into a bank to cash a check. In handing over the money the cashier, by mistake, gave him dollars for cents and cents for dollars. He...
  29. Mr Davis 97

    What would the other villager tell me to do in order to reach my destination?

    Homework Statement Each inhabitant of a remote village always tells the truth or always lies. A villager will only give a "yes or a "no" response to a question a tourist asks. Suppose that you are a tourist visiting this are and come to a fork in the road. One branch leads to where you want to...
  30. Mr Davis 97

    Solve Yes/No Logic Puzzle & Save Explorer: How?

    Homework Statement An explorer is captured by a group of cannibals. There are two types of cannibals--those who always tell the truth and those who always lie. The cannibals will barbecue the explore unless he can determine whether a particular cannibal always lies or always tells the truth. He...
  31. Mr Davis 97

    Logic puzzle with 100 statements

    Homework Statement We have 100 statements, where the nth statement says that "exactly n of these statements are false." What conclusions can you draw about the truth values of the statements? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution Immediately we see that the 100th statements can't be...
  32. J

    I Infinite Sum of x/(z+y): Solving the Puzzle

    Can x/(z+y) be written as an infinite sum?
  33. PhotonSSBM

    Base 8 Logic Puzzle: Finding Solutions to Divisibility Rules

    Homework Statement We call a seven digit number in base eight X, whose digits are given by ##abcdefg## No digits are zero, and none of them are the same. The following divisibility rules are true: (I)The number ##ab## is divisible by 2 (II) The number ##abc## is divisible by 3 (III)The...
  34. Buzz Bloom

    I A new puzzle based on the "Blue-eye paradox"

    The puzzle presented below is derived as a variation of the Blue-eye paradox" which has been discussed in the following thread. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/blue-eye-paradox.875870 THE PUZZLE Teams of N people each are each given the following challenge. The rules for the challenge...
  35. Andreas C

    I Stacking bricks-Physics puzzle

    Part 1: You have an unlimited supply of indestructible bricks that are 10cm long and 4cm high. After some thougt, you realize that building a huge wall to keep immigrants out is a dumb idea, you decide to do something more creative with them. Since sticking things together, reinforcing...
  36. L

    Game of battleship logic puzzle

    Homework Statement -Admiral, your orders are to deploy the fleet into battle formation. -your fleet contains 1 battleship, 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers and 4 corvettes. -battleship requires 4 squares deployment, cruiser requires 3, destroyer requires 2, and corvette requires 1 -each ship...
  37. V

    Solving a Bubble Puzzle: Understanding Surface Tension Force

    Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution Pressure inside bubble = 2T/R Buoyant force on bubble = ##\frac{4}{3} \pi R^3 ρ_w g ## But I do not understand how surface tension is exerting force on the bubble .Also I do not understand the direction of surface tension force...
  38. M

    Try My Puzzle Game: MarioQWE's Github Page

    Hey all! I finally decided to code a puzzle kind-of game I came up with a few weeks ago and I would love it if you tried it. Let me know what you think ;) (It's hosted in my github page): http://marioqwe.github.io/
  39. M

    I Possible webpage title: Can You Solve This Number Grid Puzzle?

    Greetings, Found this grid from Internet. There was no hint if this was a puzzle but I pretty much sure that it is. Has someone seen this kind of grid before? If so, how to solve this? The link to the grid is: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC6FQYC_pvm-6-chimney
  40. S

    MHB Solving the Tangram Puzzle Geometrically (No Constructions)

    I have looked at the threads posted by others who were working on what seems to be the same task. I have correctly determined all the lengths and angles as the task requires, however am struggling to justify the lengths geometrically, without constructing any midpoints or additional...
  41. atom jana

    Logic puzzle : Smallest number of prisoners required?

    You are the ruler of a medieval empire and you are about to have a celebration tomorrow. The celebration is the most important party you have ever hosted. You've got 1000 bottles of wine you were planning to open for the celebration, but you find out that one of them is poisoned. The poison...
  42. micromass

    Another hats and prisoners puzzle

  43. terryds

    Solving a Derivative Puzzle: Find f'(1)

    Homework Statement If ##\lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x^3)-f(a^3)}{x-a} = -1##. then f'(1) = ... A. -1 B. -1/3 C. 1/3 D. 1 E. 2 Homework Equations [/B] ##f'(x) = \lim_{h->0}\frac{f(x+h)-f(x))}{h}##The Attempt at a Solution [/B] I really have no idea about this problem. Please help me.
  44. R

    Solving the Sugar Content in Potato Flour Puzzle with Chemistry

    Homework Statement Hi everyone, i have a problem. My brain is short-circuited, and it seems like i can't find out the simplest chemistry in the world :D We made this experiment where we should determine the sugar content in potato flour. We added amylases to break down the starch to glucose...
  45. davenn

    What are some possible solutions to this puzzle?

    so far I have come up with 5 possibilities Are there more ? what one/ones did the originator think of ? I won't post my answers till I see a few responses Dave
  46. D

    How Can You Optimize Thrust for a Safe Mars Lander Descent?

    You're in a Mars Lander. The planets gravity pulls you towards it at 3.711 m/s². (So at T(1) with 0 thrust your vertical velocity is -3.711). Your lander has 4 thrust settings: 0 m/s², 1 m/s², 2 m/s², 3 m/s², 4 m/s². Each of these use 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 units of fuel per second respectively. Your...
  47. 4

    Puzzle. Electrical VS solid bar switch.

    Good Evening, I am not a science "professional" nor even a Physics Graduate. I am, however, interested in anything with a science twist. I have created an account on this forum hoping that someone can answer my puzzing question... Start with the simplest circuit. Battery, switch, two wires and...
  48. pioneerboy

    Solving 'Hundepuzzle' with High School Maths Only

    Is there a solution to this game https://prlbr.de/2011/08/hundepuzzle/alle-karten.png in the form of an equation that only requires high school mathematics but no higher maths and informatics?
  49. Cosmos

    New Year's Day Puzzle Question....

    Let 0 ≤a≤b and a,b≠0 and a≠b such that (ab) divided by (a+b)=2016
  50. Greg Bernhardt

    Are You Up for a Regular Expressions Crossword Challenge?

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