Baguenaudier
Encyclopedia
Baguenaudier is a mechanical puzzle
featuring a double loop of string which must be disentangled from a sequence of rings on interlinked pillars. The puzzle is thought to have been invented originally in China
. Stewart Culin
provided that it was invented by the Chinese general Zhuge Liang
in the 2nd century AD. The name "Baguenaudier", however, is French
. In Italy
they are called Anelli di Cardano (Cardano's Rings).
In fact, the earliest description of the puzzle in Chinese history was written by Yang Shen
, a scholar in 16th century in his Dan Qian Zong Lu (Preface to General Collections of Studies on Lead).
Édouard Lucas
, the inventor of the Tower of Hanoi
puzzle, was known to have come up with an elegant solution which used binary
and Gray codes, in the same way that his puzzle can be solved.
Variations of this include The Devil's Staircase, Devil's Halo and the Impossible Staircase. Another similar puzzle is the Giant's Causeway which uses a separate pillar with an embedded ring.
Mechanical puzzle
A mechanical puzzle is a puzzle presented as a set of mechanically interlinked pieces.- History :The oldest known mechanical puzzle comes from Greece and appeared in the 3rd century BC....
featuring a double loop of string which must be disentangled from a sequence of rings on interlinked pillars. The puzzle is thought to have been invented originally in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Stewart Culin
Stewart Culin
Stewart Culin was an ethnographer and author interested in games, art and dress. He believed that similarity in gaming demonstrated similarity and contact among cultures across the world.-Early life:...
provided that it was invented by the Chinese general Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
in the 2nd century AD. The name "Baguenaudier", however, is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
they are called Anelli di Cardano (Cardano's Rings).
In fact, the earliest description of the puzzle in Chinese history was written by Yang Shen
Yang Shen
Yang Shen , son of Yang Tinghe, zi Yòngxiū , hao Shēng'ān , also hao Bonanshanren , Bonanshushi , was a poet in the Ming Dynasty....
, a scholar in 16th century in his Dan Qian Zong Lu (Preface to General Collections of Studies on Lead).
Édouard Lucas
Edouard Lucas
François Édouard Anatole Lucas was a French mathematician. Lucas is known for his study of the Fibonacci sequence. The related Lucas sequences and Lucas numbers are named after him.-Biography:...
, the inventor of the Tower of Hanoi
Tower of Hanoi
The Tower of Hanoi or Towers of Hanoi, also called the Tower of Brahma or Towers of Brahma, is a mathematical game or puzzle. It consists of three rods, and a number of disks of different sizes which can slide onto any rod...
puzzle, was known to have come up with an elegant solution which used binary
Binary numeral system
The binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, represents numeric values using two symbols, 0 and 1. More specifically, the usual base-2 system is a positional notation with a radix of 2...
and Gray codes, in the same way that his puzzle can be solved.
Variations of this include The Devil's Staircase, Devil's Halo and the Impossible Staircase. Another similar puzzle is the Giant's Causeway which uses a separate pillar with an embedded ring.