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The object of this puzzle is to divide the
circular table top (disk) into certain number of pieces that could be
rearranged into the seats of two oval stools with open handholds as
shown in the illustration. What is the fewest number of pieces
required to complete this task?
John Jackson proposed this puzzle in 1821 and his solution contained
eight pieces. Eighty years later, in 1901, Sam Loyd demonstrated the solution
which consisted of six pieces only. And recently, in 2004, more than a century
later, when almost everyone thought Sam Loyd had brought the puzzle
full circle,
Serhiy Grabarchuk came up with an astounding solution, or
even series of solutions, which consisted of five (!) pieces.
Which of these solutions can you discover?
More comprehensive research on this and similar dissection puzzles can
be found in the
Dissections: Plane & Fancy book by
Greg
Frederickson. |
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