Impossible Puzzle? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

mo42 · 05-28-2007, 10:35 PM

I've been trying to figure out if this puzzle is possible or not. I think I've seen it before and I also think that it may be impossible. Am I right, or is there some bizarre trick to it?

Puzzle can be found here.

Jetée · 05-28-2007, 10:58 PM

You know I have proper right to be infuriated with this post?

I'm addicted

healer · 05-28-2007, 11:31 PM

I've officially become unproductive.

the_marq · 05-28-2007, 11:49 PM

Well here is your solution. Don't look until you are ready, you can't unlearn this knowledge.

Spoiler: It's proven impossible here: http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.3utilities.html
The short explanation is that it cannot be done in 2 dimensions.

Toaster126 · 05-29-2007, 03:43 AM

Hahaha.

Jetée · 05-29-2007, 06:52 AM

Damn logarithims...

BBtB · 05-29-2007, 07:39 AM

Well you just made me piss my girlfriend off because I was supposed to be giving her directions and instead I was on the phone trying to solve that stupid thing. Thanks for nothing. lol

troit · 05-29-2007, 10:43 AM

Has to be impossible.

noodlebee · 05-29-2007, 11:07 AM

Wow. That was nice. Do you have more puzzles like this?

mo42 · 05-30-2007, 09:34 PM

Nah, I just stumbled upon that one randomly. I'm sure there are more out there somewhere, but I don't have any direct links.

OzOz · 05-31-2007, 04:36 PM

It should be impossible - and I think I can prove it. (Of course, this is where someone will put up their hand and say they have a solution to the problem!

)

newtx · 05-31-2007, 07:22 PM

Hard to stop trying. Much harder to solve. Seems impossible with my limited brainpower.

MexicanOnABike · 05-31-2007, 07:51 PM

i heard from a friend that his university teacher had the solution to this. I think he was trying to pull a joke on me but still, id like to know ...

OzOz · 06-01-2007, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MexicanOnABike

i heard from a friend that his university teacher had the solution to this. I think he was trying to pull a joke on me but still, id like to know ...

Your friend's university teacher doesn't have a solution. This puzzle IS impossible. I have come up with a proof. PM me if you want the proof. (I assume people don't want it posted here, to avoid spoiling their fun.

)

snicka · 06-01-2007, 04:10 PM

What kind of person goes through all the trouble to code that and put it up on the web if it is impossible. A sadist? Communist spy who wants to ruin productivity?

jackdalton · 07-20-2007, 04:14 AM

It has nothing to do with brain power, it's just similar to the river+bridge problem one great matematician discoveres (i dont remember his name).
I learnt about these things when i has a computer sciences project.
It's just simple maths, using combinations.

krwlz · 07-20-2007, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackdalton

It has nothing to do with brain power, it's just similar to the river+bridge problem one great matematician discoveres (i dont remember his name).
I learnt about these things when i has a computer sciences project.
It's just simple maths, using combinations.

meaning you solved it?

And learned man, learned, not learnt

Zeraph · 07-20-2007, 02:30 PM

Ya, not solvable, can get all the lines but one. It will always cut it off.

essendoubleop · 07-20-2007, 04:51 PM

I remember a kid presented to this to our class in 5th grade and said there was a 3 million dollar prize offered in a magazine. We all spent the rest of the day trying to draw it up.

josh10524 · 10-21-2007, 08:36 PM

How about the second one? It's easy until the last move, and then it seems impossible. I haven't been playing with it for very long, though.

rlbond86 · 10-21-2007, 09:38 PM

Actually, you can beat it by cheating:

YouTube - SuPuzzle - It's EASY ;)

dlish · 10-22-2007, 06:30 AM

this thing is driving me nuts

basherone · 01-21-2008, 04:08 AM

the three houses and three utilities puzzle has a "cheat that will only work if completed on a sheet of paper - take the final line around the back of the sheet of paper.

Barstool · 01-21-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basherone

the three houses and three utilities puzzle has a "cheat that will only work if completed on a sheet of paper - take the final line around the back of the sheet of paper.

But then that becomes three dimensional, not two, thus only proving that the puzzle is impossible.

05-28-2007, 10:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
mo42 Insane Location: California	Impossible Puzzle? I've been trying to figure out if this puzzle is possible or not. I think I've seen it before and I also think that it may be impossible. Am I right, or is there some bizarre trick to it? Puzzle can be found here. __________________ It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got.

05-28-2007, 10:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	You know I have proper right to be infuriated with this post? I'm addicted __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi

05-28-2007, 11:49 PM	#4 (permalink)
the_marq All hail the Mountain King Location: Black Mesa	Well here is your solution. Don't look until you are ready, you can't unlearn this knowledge. Spoiler: It's proven impossible here: http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.3utilities.html The short explanation is that it cannot be done in 2 dimensions. __________________ The Truth: Johnny Cash could have kicked Bruce Lee's ass if he wanted to. #3 in a series

05-29-2007, 03:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
Toaster126 Extreme moderation Location: Kansas City, yo.	Hahaha. __________________ "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand) "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (M. Scott Peck)

05-29-2007, 06:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	Damn logarithims... __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi

05-29-2007, 07:39 AM	#7 (permalink)
BBtB ClerkMan! Location: Tulsa, Ok.	Well you just made me piss my girlfriend off because I was supposed to be giving her directions and instead I was on the phone trying to solve that stupid thing. Thanks for nothing. lol __________________ Meridae'n once played "death" at a game of chess that lasted for over two years. He finally beat death in a best 34 out of 67 match. At that time he could ask for any one thing and he could wish for the hope of all mankind... he looked death right in the eye and said ... "I would like about three fiddy"

05-29-2007, 10:43 AM	#8 (permalink)
troit Transfer Agent Location: NYC	Has to be impossible. __________________ I've yet to dephile myself...

05-29-2007, 11:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
noodlebee Crazy Location: Canada	Wow. That was nice. Do you have more puzzles like this?

05-30-2007, 09:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
mo42 Insane Location: California	Nah, I just stumbled upon that one randomly. I'm sure there are more out there somewhere, but I don't have any direct links. __________________ It's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you've got.

05-31-2007, 04:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
OzOz Psycho Location: Right here, right now.	It should be impossible - and I think I can prove it. (Of course, this is where someone will put up their hand and say they have a solution to the problem! ) __________________ Maybe you should put some shorts on or something, if you wanna keep fighting evil today.

05-31-2007, 07:22 PM	#12 (permalink)
newtx Addict	Hard to stop trying. Much harder to solve. Seems impossible with my limited brainpower.

05-31-2007, 07:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
MexicanOnABike Location: up north	i heard from a friend that his university teacher had the solution to this. I think he was trying to pull a joke on me but still, id like to know ... __________________ - Movie Reviews - Ratings-

06-01-2007, 04:10 PM	#15 (permalink)
snicka Crazy	What kind of person goes through all the trouble to code that and put it up on the web if it is impossible. A sadist? Communist spy who wants to ruin productivity?

07-20-2007, 04:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
jackdalton Banned	It has nothing to do with brain power, it's just similar to the river+bridge problem one great matematician discoveres (i dont remember his name). I learnt about these things when i has a computer sciences project. It's just simple maths, using combinations.

07-20-2007, 02:30 PM	#18 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Ya, not solvable, can get all the lines but one. It will always cut it off.

10-22-2007, 06:30 AM	#22 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	this thing is driving me nuts __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

07-20-2007, 04:51 PM	#19 (permalink)
essendoubleop Psycho	I remember a kid presented to this to our class in 5th grade and said there was a 3 million dollar prize offered in a magazine. We all spent the rest of the day trying to draw it up.

10-21-2007, 08:36 PM	#20 (permalink)
josh10524 Upright	How about the second one? It's easy until the last move, and then it seems impossible. I haven't been playing with it for very long, though.

01-21-2008, 04:08 AM	#23 (permalink)
basherone Upright	the three houses and three utilities puzzle has a "cheat that will only work if completed on a sheet of paper - take the final line around the back of the sheet of paper.