Puzzles

Java Puzzles

Click on one of the puzzles below to run Java program (written mostly by David Bagley). The X Manual Pages are written for the X versions but may be useful to understanding the Java programs. You can download the jar file (preserve the extension), and then it can be run as an application by prefixing the jar file name with "java -jar ".

Sliding Puzzles

Source Code	X Manual Page	Jar File
cubes.zip	xcubes	CubesApp.jar
triangles.zip	xtriangles	TrianglesApp.jar
hexagons.zip	xhexagons	HexagonsApp.jar
mlink.zip	xmlink	MlinkApp.jar
barrel.zip	xbarrel	BarrelApp.jar
panex.zip	xpanex	MballApp.jar

For Cubes, Mlink, and Barrel go to menu and click on "Number" (a toggle), if you prefer looking at a mandrill. The barrel puzzle now has an auto-solve too.

Try the

Panex puzzle with the "Algorithme" mode (for constant height tiles). Algorithme mode now has the general minimum move solution auto-solve working.

Also try Cubes, Triangles, and Hexagons. If you beat the score on these puzzles, write out using "w", and send the data (cookie or file) to me. I started a list (see "Triangles stuff and Hexagons stuff" below). These puzzles and Panex have preset starting positions, the rest have random starting positions.

Try the

auto-solve for skewb, dino, and mball (masterball). Now all puzzles have some sort of auto-solve except triangles and hexagons. mball can simulate and solve the Saturn Puzzle (8 wedges and 1 band) and an oriented Masterball (i.e. numbers on them). Included is a way of swapping only 2 segments, which is done in 31 moves on an oriented Masterball. The Hockey Puck puzzle (12 wedges and 1 band but with no center disk) can also be simulated, where the auto-solve has been updated to work here as well. mball recently updated to auto-solve for wedges <= 8 _or_ 1 band.

Some of these puzzles are very difficult. Here is a list in order of complexity:

Hexagons (corners unselected) (about Kindergarten level)

Triangles

Panex (Tower of Hanoi option) (about 3rd grade level)

Cubes

Panex (Algorithme option)

Mlink

Panex (Panex option)

Hexagons (corners selected)

Barrel

Rotational Puzzles

Source Code	X Manual Page	Jar File
mball.zip	xmball	MballApp.jar
pyraminx.zip	xpyraminx	PyraminxApp.jar
oct.zip	xoct	OctApp.jar
rubik.zip	xrubik	RubikApp.jar
skewb.zip	xskewb	SkewbApp.jar
dino.zip	xdino	DinoApp.jar

Cookies are used for keeping track of score and current position. The delay for loading scores is intentional because if done at initialization, javascript seems to cause certain browsers to deadlock or crash.

See project notes for todo list and history. Please let me know if I left out anything.