Challenge Your Mind with These Gerrymandering Logic Puzzles

Earlier today, three unique gerrymandering logic puzzles were unveiled, inviting enthusiasts to explore the complexities of electoral maps. The objective of each puzzle is to determine the electoral configuration where the minority color secures victory in the majority of regions. Each region is defined as a group of contiguous cells connected either horizontally or vertically, with diagonal connections not permitted.

The first puzzle, classified as easy, requires participants to divide a grid into five regions of five cells each, ensuring that the minority color, purple, wins the majority. The second puzzle, marked as medium difficulty, expands the challenge to five regions of ten cells, where purple must again claim the majority without any ties in any region. The final puzzle, deemed hard, involves dividing a grid into seven regions of seven cells each, with the minority color, blue, needing to win the majority of regions while avoiding ties for first place.

To offer a more interactive experience, links to online versions of each puzzle are provided alongside the printed options. These puzzles were conceived by Brady Forrest, known by his online alias Deckard. He shares insights into the mathematical underpinnings of these challenges in a YouTube clip, further enhancing the puzzle-solving experience.

For those interested in further exploration, the solutions to each puzzle are available at the end of the article. Participants can engage with these puzzles as part of a longstanding tradition, with new challenges being presented every alternate Monday since 2015.

In related news, the article highlights a fun fact from the recently published book, Football School Facts. The book notes that Gerry Taggart, a former player for Bolton, is among only four Premier League players to have been sent off on their birthdays. This intriguing detail, along with hundreds of others, is featured in the book, co-authored by Ben Lyttleton and aimed at readers aged seven to 107. The book is available in hardback and is offered at the Guardian Bookshop, making it an ideal gift for football enthusiasts.

This blend of logic puzzles and football trivia provides a unique opportunity for readers to engage with both mathematics and sports in a fun and educational manner. Whether you prefer to challenge your brain with puzzles or enjoy fascinating facts from the world of football, there is something for everyone in this latest offering.