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        riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle..
        
(Message started by: amichail on Feb 21^st, 2009, 2:49pm)

Title: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle..
Post by amichail on Feb 21^st, 2009, 2:49pm

Is it still called a puzzle?

For example, if the challenge comes from competing with others in using few moves or doing something quickly, would it be better to call it a game?

The problem with using the term puzzle with something that is easy to solve is that many people would find it trivial and immediately disregard it.

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by towr on Feb 22^nd, 2009, 6:55am

Wouldn't it just become the puzzle to solve it in as few moves as possible? Rather than be the puzzle to merely solve it.

And you could always call it puzzle-game as middle ground.

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by amichail on Feb 22^nd, 2009, 11:38am

on 02/22/09 at 06:55:07, towr wrote:

Wouldn't it just become the puzzle to solve it in as few moves as possible? Rather than be the puzzle to merely solve it.

The problem is that most people may get the wrong impression at first and be disappointed by how easy it is to solve.

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by towr on Feb 22^nd, 2009, 12:06pm

If they don't solve it in the fewest possible moves, they haven't really solved it, have they? Not if that is the puzzle. It can't be that hard to tell that to people, can it?

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by JiNbOtAk on Mar 2^nd, 2009, 3:23am

Well, Wikipedia couldn't be sure either, for example, it refers to Tower of Hanoi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Hanoi) as "a mathematical game or puzzle". Having been able to solve a Tower of Hanoi for 15 disks in 50 moves (I was told that was the optimum number of moves) I prefer to think it as a puzzle, rather than as a game.

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by ronnodas on Mar 2^nd, 2009, 8:49am

Tower of Hanoi in 15 disks isn't solvable in less than 2^15-1 or 32767 moves

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by JiNbOtAk on Mar 10^th, 2009, 4:19am

Sure you can, just add more poles. ;D

Title: Re: If the challenge is not in solving the puzzle.
Post by rmsgrey on Mar 11^th, 2009, 9:59am

...making the limit 29 moves (with 16 poles)