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Gordon Collins, puzzle solver extraordinaire, sent us the diagram above with the three subcircuits highlighted in different colors. He then transformed this pattern into a stretched string figure, below, by grabbing the two balls and pulling them apart. Numbers with asterisks are the balls.
From this pattern Gordon was then able to deduce a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 64 moves! Here are some of his sample solutions:
- The smallest number of moves is 14:
1e, 1f, 1m, 1k, 1n, 2e, 2a, 2d, 2h, 2i, 3a, 3b, 3l, 3*.
One can use 2f and 2b instead of 2e and 2a.
- There are many ways to get there in 25 moves, one of which is:
1b, 1h, 1i, 1d, 1c, 1l, 1k, 1n, 2e, 2j, 2k, 2b, 2d, 2h, 2g, 2l, 2m, 3k,
3j, 3e, 3f, 3d, 3c, 3l, 3*.
For the maximum, there are several choices for restrictions on
the problem:
- cannot return to start or arrive at a given end point more than
once;
- cannot arrive at a given endpoint from the same direction more than
once (prohibits following both 2f2b and 2k2b);
- cannot use the same directed path more than once
(prohibits following 2k2b twice);
- cannot use the same UNdirected full segment more than once
(prohibits following 1m1d and 1d1m);
- cannot use the same undirected full segment more than once in
succession (allows following 1m1d and 1d1m, just not one right after the
other);
- and cannot use the same directed full segment more than once in
all.
Gordon found the following maximal paths for the above:
- 35 moves:
1b, 1h, 1g, 1i, 1m, 1d, 1c, 1l, 1k, 1a, 1n, [ or ... i d c l m k ...]
2f, 2e, 2a, 2j, 2k, 2b, 2d, 2h, 2i, 2g, 2c, 2l, 2m, [2 other variations
before d]
3a, 3k, 3j, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3d, 3c, 3b, 3l, 3*
- 52 moves: (reaches all endpoints at least once)
1e, 1f, 1e, 1*, 1b, 1h, 1g, 1j, 1g, 1i, 1d, 1c, 1l, 1c, 1d, 1m, 1k, 1a,
1n,
2e, 2f, 2k, 2j, 2a, 2j, 2k, 2b, 2a, 2d, 2h, 2i, 2g, 2c, 2l, 2m,
3a, 3k, 3j, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3d, 3c, 3b, 3a, 3b, 3l, 3*, 3i, 3h, 3i, 3*
- 64 moves:
1b, 1h, 1i, 1g, 1j, 1g, 1i, 1d, 1c, 1l, 1k, 1a, 1b, 1*, 1e, 1f, 1m, 1d,
1m, 1k, 1n, 1a, 1n,
2f, 2e, 2f, 2b, 2k, 2j, 2a, 2j, 2k, 2b, 2d, 2a, 2d, 2h, 2g, 2i, 2g, 2l,
2c, 2l, 2m,
3k, 3j, 3e, 3f, 3d, 3g, 3d, 3c, 3l, 3b, 3a, 3k, 3a, 3b, 3l, 3*, 3i, 3h,
3i, 3*
- 41 moves:
1e, 1f, 1d, 1c, 1l, 1k, 1a, 1*, 1b, 1h, 1g, 1i, 1d, 1m, 1k, 1n,
2f, 2e, 2a, 2j, 2k, 2b, 2a, 2d, 2h, 2i, 2g, 2c, 2l, 2m,
3a, 3k, 3j, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3d, 3c, 3b, 3l, 3*
- 43 moves:
1b, 1h, 1g, 1i, 1m, 1d, 1c, 1l, 1k, 1a, 1b, 1*, 1e, 1f, 1d, 1m, 1k, 1n,
2f, 2e, 2a, 2j, 2k, 2b, 2a, 2d, 2h, 2i, 2g, 2c, 2l, 2m,
3a, 3k, 3j, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3d, 3c, 3b, 3l, 3*
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