Solving a Puzzle

All solutions involve a correct matching of the globe with the glider. Two points on the glider and two places on the globe define a puzzle.

The information to create a puzzle is carried by glyphs on two different types of cards. The glider uses swap cards with point glyphs, and the globe uses move cards with place glyphs. A configuration is completely defined by a primary point and place, and a secondary point and place. Information in glyphs is carried by shape, position and color. Primary glyphs are always placed in front of secondary glyphs.

Solutions can be communicated by a variable sequence of four colors. This is possible because the four rotational axes of the glider each present one possible move. Here is an example of a solution to transforming Green-Red of Purple in Green-Red to Purple-Red of Green: Yellow - Blue - Green - Red - Yellow - Red.

There are 15 other valid solutions to this one puzzle that use only six moves, and an infinite number of solutions that use more than six. These color and syntax conventions are necessary because there is a phenomenal amount of information on a stone. (That’s probably why the molecules of life chose this form as their base.) Fortunately, it can all be quickly communicated with glyphs. There are 120 configurations, 14,400 transformations, >2,000,000 glyph sequences to communicate them, and an infinite number of valid solution paths for every puzzle. Enjoy.

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