Math Is Fun Forum
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#1 2007-08-13 00:00:14
- creativecog
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- Registered: 2007-08-12
- Posts: 1
Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
Would it be possible to assign a number to each different pattern on the Eternity II game, and then use math to calculate the combinations. How could math help me to work out how many combinations their would be ? PS. the puzzle is at http://uk.eternityii.com/
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#2 2007-08-13 00:39:11
- mathsyperson
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- Registered: 2005-06-22
- Posts: 4,900
Re: Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
Assuming that the pieces need to be arranged in a 16x16 square, there are 256! possible ways that they can be arranged. (If they don't, then there will be even more)
Each piece also has 4 possible orientations, which means that the total amount of configurations is 256! x 4^256.
This is approximately equal to 10^662, which is far, far too high a number for a computer to try every one.
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
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#3 2007-09-05 12:49:38
- landof+
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- Registered: 2007-03-24
- Posts: 131
Re: Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
So.... The puzzle wants a 1/10^662 chance solution? Interesting.
I shall be on leave until I say so...
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#4 2007-09-06 01:09:39
- mathsyperson
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- Registered: 2005-06-22
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Re: Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
Not quite, because the site claims that there are thousands of solutions that work. But still, that barely affects anything.
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
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#5 2007-09-07 04:23:39
- Devantè
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- Registered: 2006-07-14
- Posts: 6,400
Re: Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
Well, I know that last time a computer program was created to try and figure out the solution, and it worked it out quite quickly by luck. It would have taken years to actually figure it out with the program.
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#6 2007-09-08 00:54:41
- landof+
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- Registered: 2007-03-24
- Posts: 131
Re: Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
You'd probably sit on the floor calculating instead of working it out.
I shall be on leave until I say so...
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#7 2008-07-31 12:44:51
- John E. Franklin
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- Registered: 2005-08-29
- Posts: 3,588
Re: Could math be used to work out the Eternity II puzzle?
I just learned of the 209 piece Eternity puzzle that came first.
I was studying 2 solutions and noted the pieces can be flipped over.
Piece #185 seems to have the most number of sides, that being 11.
For the million pound winner, piece#185 was 45 degrees from center
about half a radii out, but the other persons solution has piece#185
at about 4'oclock or at 330 degrees or -30 degrees and lies on the
outer edge of the 12 sided almost circular puzzle.
igloo myrtilles fourmis
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