A polyomino packing puzzle with 8 pieces ranging in size from 1 to 8. The main goal is to create a 6x6 square. Further goal shapes (and solutions) can be found on https://www.jaapsch.net/g4g/g4g13.htm
I made pentagons of edges whose lengths are 1,2,3,4 and 5 in order and can be tiled the flat infinitive plane. And also hexagons of 1,2,3,4,5,6 edge length. A set of a few of them is my exchange puzzle.
The puzzle is to fit 14 “rabbiduck” polyomino pieces into an 8x11 rectangle. (Gardner wrote about polyominoes in multiple columns. The specific polyomino pieces used are inspired by the rabbit/duck illusion that Gardner called the Rabbitduck in his…
This paper presents 15 vignettes, each designed to evoke both mathematics and magic. We end with a super-generalization of the Chefalo Rope Trick and the insight that 15 = 3 x 5 = 1x1 + 1 x 1 + 2 x 2 + 3 x 3.
This physical exchange puzzle includes a hexagonal frame, along with three triangles and three squares that are to be fit inside the frame. NOTE: this puzzle was intended for exchange in 2020, but is included now because I was unable to attend until…
Are there any polycubes that can be unfolded into exactly a rectangle? This problem was solved in 2019. The smallest solution forms a nice puzzle — fold the rectangle into a polycube!
Every week at my School's math club, we have one puzzle to solve based around match sticks. My gift exchange item will consist of a small booklet containing 21 match stick puzzles ( in honor of Martin Gardner being born on the 21st of October), as…
The French name for the Fifteen Puzzle is "Jeu de Taquin". The generalization by Schützenberger to Young tableaux has many amazing properties, and important applications in combinatorics, representation theory and algebraic geometry.
This is a standard trihexaflexagon with some extra crease lines. Cut it out and fold it up in the usual way, using tape or glue, adding the extra creases. The new degrees of freedom allow the hexaflexagon to swim along itself like Escher's fish, as…
This is a paper ring with a number puzzle. The hint is actually the logo that is at the beginning (which of course will be right after the end when it's a ring).
Cut-and-fold a polyhedron with 7 vertices, 14 faces, 21 edges, and a hole through it like a doughnut. A cube has internal diagonals that connect the diametrically opposite corners. By contrast, this polyhedron has no internal diagonals. There are…
Burr puzzle designed by Oskar van Deventer (used with permission). For G4G14, this 14-piece puzzle felt appropriate. Contrary to the name of the puzzle, these exchange puzzles are in fact rather small.