Putting the Pieces Together

During Dartmouth’s first Mechanical Puzzles Day, Geoff Scott ’08 (right) and George Hart, professor of computer science at Stony Brook University,  examine a geometric sculpture puzzle created by Hart. Held Feb. 20 in Kemeny Hall, the event included presentations by renowned puzzle designers Stewart Coffin and Oskar van Deventer, as well as talks on such topics as puzzling mechanisms, designing puzzles with a computer, and the history of the puzzle. “It’s great,” said Scott, a mathematics major. “I never imagined that I would see a roomful of professors analyzing these puzzles, some of which I played with as a child. I didn’t appreciate the tremendous genius behind puzzles until today.” The event was organized by Peter Winkler, the Albert Bradley Third Century Professor in the Sciences; Sergi Elizalde, assistant professor of mathematics; and Giulio Genovese, a graduate student.

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