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Post date: Jan 15, 2012 7:53:16 PM
The 15-Puzzle
Presented by
Dr. Fernando Rodriguez-Villegas
December 1, 2011
The University of Texas at Austin
The 15-puzzle is the perennial puzzle consisting of 15 numbered tiles on a 4 by 4 square that need to be restored to the standard ordering by sliding the tiles around. It is what is called a permutation puzzle, just like its more famous cousin: the Rubik's cube. We will consider the general form of the 15-puzzle and the crucial role played by the parity of permutations, something that Sam Loyd, "America's greatest puzzler" in the words of Martin Gardner, knew how to exploit to great effect.
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