This puzzle consists of rebuilding the chessboard from the 8 fragments.
Sam Loyd (1841-1911), is one of the most renowned puzzle creators with a characteristic point of wit and humour. Martin Gardner called it "America's greatest puzzler." In his book Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles this puzzle appears.
Loyd tells us the anecdote of a French prince facing an imminent mate when he played a game of chess he chose to break the board in his head
- Hotel Area: Sala Martin Gardner
- Minimum age: from 6 years old.
- Required time: 5-10 minutes.
- Number of participants: 1 person or more
- Keywords: Algorithm
- Taxonomy:
This puzzle is particularly interesting, since it allows you to solve it by not working exclusively on the basis of trial and error.
To solve it "deductively" it is necessary, first, to look at the shape of the pieces, and then to think and use some classic methods of addressing problems such as classification, sorting or mating.
In the museum we continuously check how the resolution produces a "Eureka!" moment and a desire to share the discovered methodology.
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Other Modules
In this module the circumferences of different sizes can roll on another fixed, the gears allow to do it without slipping. The curves obtained are hypocycloids (if rolled inside) and hypocycloids (if rolled on the outside). Depending on the relative sizes of the fixed circumference and the one that rolls, the different types of these curves are obtained.
The 5 pieces of wood of different shades with which this cone is built show the 4 types of sections: Circumference, ellipse, parabola and hyperbola.
The first part consists of a gear of 50 teeth inside which can rotate a circle of 25 teeth, the 5 color points of the circle follow the 5 diameters. The second part is a pentagonal piece with the 5 color vertices located in the same position as before. The pentagon can rotate gently thanks to the laces inserted in the trenches built as the diameters of the first part.
