Related papers: The mathematics of Septoku
The tetrahedron equation in a special substitution is reduced to a pair of pentagon and one ten-term equations. Various examples of solutions are found. $O$-doubles of Novikov, which generalize the Heisenberg double of a Hopf algebra,…
Let $n=hw$, where $h$ and $w$ are integers with $h,w \ge 2$. We determine the set of possible intersection numbers of two $n \times n$ latin squares having the additional `Sudoku' constraint based on a $w \times h$ grid of $h \times w$…
One can hardly believe that there is still something to be said about cubic equations. To dodge this doubt, we will instead try and say something about Sylvester. He doubtless found a way of solving cubic equations. As mentioned by Rota, it…
We employ tools from the fields of symbolic computation and satisfiability checking---namely, computer algebra systems and SAT solvers---to study the Williamson conjecture from combinatorial design theory and increase the bounds to which…
The Berge-Fulkerson conjecture states that every bridgeless cubic graph can be covered with six perfect matchings such that each edge is covered exactly twice. An equivalent reformulation is that it's possible to find a 6-cycle 4-cover. In…
In this work, we study a triangular variant of the Lights Out game, proposed in the 2025 Capixaba Mathematics Olympiad. We present a combinatorial description of the game, formally characterize its operations, and introduce the notion of a…
We study the following variant of the 15 puzzle. Given a graph and two token placements on the vertices, we want to find a walk of the minimum length (if any exists) such that the sequence of token swappings along the walk obtains one of…
For Latin squares the units (rows and columns) have fixed sum. The same holds for rows, columns, and blocks in Sudokus. Summing the elements of a unit yields a linear equation, and the set of all such equations forms a system of linear…
We describe a method for bounding the set of exceptional integers not represented by a given additive form in terms of the exceptional set corresponding to a subform. Illustrating our ideas with examples stemming from Waring's problem for…
Snackjack is a highly simplified version of blackjack that was proposed by Ethier (2010) and given its name by Epstein (2013). The eight-card deck comprises two aces, two deuces, and four treys, with aces having value either 1 or 4, and…
This paper investigates several classical and novel variations of the Erd\H{o}s--Szekeres problem, including multicolored point sets, convex hexagons with a given number of interior points, and polygons with constraints on edge colors. We…
We prove that for each odd integer $k \geq 7$, every graph on $n$ vertices without odd cycles of length less than $k$ contains at most $(n/k)^k$ cycles of length $k$. This generalizes the previous results on the maximum number of pentagons…
Spiral Galaxies is a pencil-and-paper puzzle played on a grid of unit squares: given a set of points called centers, the goal is to partition the grid into polyominoes such that each polyomino contains exactly one center and is 180{\deg}…
The determination of $ES(7)$ is the first open case of the planar Erd\H{o}s--Szekeres problem, where the general conjecture predicts $ES(7)=33$. We present a SAT encoding for the 33-point case based on triple-orientation variables and a…
We study the puzzle graphs of hexagonal sliding puzzles of various shapes and with various numbers of holes. The puzzle graph is a combinatorial model which captures the solvability and the complexity of sequential mechanical puzzles.…
The game of Othello is one of the world's most complex and popular games that has yet to be computationally solved. Othello has roughly ten octodecillion (10 to the 58th power) possible game records and ten octillion (10 to the 28th power)…
A pseudocircle is a simple closed curve on the sphere or in the plane. The study of arrangements of pseudocircles was initiated by Gr\"unbaum, who defined them as collections of simple closed curves that pairwise intersect in exactly two…
We propose and evaluate a quantum-inspired algorithm for solving Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problems, which are mathematically equivalent to finding ground states of Ising spin-glass Hamiltonians. The algorithm…
A sliding puzzle is a combination puzzle where a player slide pieces along certain routes on a board to reach a certain end-configuration. In this paper, we propose a novel measurement of complexity of massive sliding puzzles with…
Japanese tatami mats are often arranged so that no four mats meet. This local restriction imposes a rich combinatorial structure when applied to monomino-domino coverings of rectilinear grids. We describe a modular, mechanical game board,…