What's the Solution to this Saturday Puzzle?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a puzzle involving the movement and arrangement of triangles in a sequence of images. Participants are exploring potential solutions and reasoning behind their choices, focusing on the mechanics of how the triangles can be manipulated.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that the puzzle is ill-posed due to missing information about the movement of the triangles, particularly in the transition to the final image.
  • Others note that the last image contains two triangles while the previous ones have three, raising questions about the possibility of stacking or moving triangles off the picture.
  • One participant suggests that they assumed stacking is allowed, which influences their reasoning.
  • A participant proposes that the solution could be option A, as it shares common elements with adjacent figures, while options B, C, D, and E do not.
  • Another participant observes that the puzzle may create a misleading impression that only one triangle moves between figures, suggesting a pattern of three moves followed by two moves could be involved.
  • One participant discusses the possibility of reaching the last figure in two moves if stacking is allowed, or by flipping an extra triangle off the board if stacking is not allowed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the mechanics of the puzzle, particularly regarding the movement of triangles and the implications of stacking. There is no consensus on a definitive solution or approach to the puzzle.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations related to the assumptions about triangle movement and the lack of clarity in the provided images, which may affect participants' reasoning and conclusions.

LePuzzled1
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Hey all,

I'm new here and thought I'd introduce myself by providing you with a nice puzzle to solve.

image-jpg.73984.jpg


Answers to be sent with reasons!

LePuzzled1
 

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Good luck!
 
A) seems to fit the best, as every darkened triangle seems to move only to an adjacent triangle.
 
None, the puzzle is ill-posed. In the first image the upper darkened triangle moves (folds) down then in the second the left one moves to the right to create the third. The fourth image should display where the lowermost triangle moves to. There is no image to show that.
 
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The last picture has 2 triangles. All the others have 3. There's no way to know how to go from 3 to 2. Can they stack? Can they move off the picture?
 
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I assumed they can stack.
 
My guess is A. That one has most things in common with adjacent, 3rd and 5th figures, in the sequence. Choices B,C,D,E have no black elements in common with 5th figure.
 
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I haven't solved it, but I noticed it creates the false impression that only one triangle moves in going from one figure to the next. You can actually arrive at figure two from figure one by moving three triangles, and you can get from two to three by moving two triangles. This might mean that there's a repeating pattern of 3 moves followed by 2 moves.
 
You can get from A to the last figure in two moves (assuming stacking is allowed), and you can get from three to A in 3 moves.

If stacking isn't allowed, you can still get from A to the last in two moves, one of those two moves being to flip the extra triangle off the 'board'.

I think this is it: with a repeating pattern of 3 moves: 2 moves, A fits the missing square, whether you allow stacking or the extra triangle is flipped off the figure.
 
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So, LePuzzled1, do you have any feedback on this so far?
 

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