The Nine Dot Puzzle, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Psychology

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The Nine Dot Puzzle

Use a pencil to draw four continuous straight line segments which go through the middle of all 9 dots

without taking the pencil off the paper.

Solution

Start at A go to B then C

then D then E

You need to draw line

segments that go

beyond the dots

to solve the problem

A

B

C

D

E

The 9 dot puzzle is an old puzzle. It appears in Sam Loyd's 1914 puzzle book. It is a very well known

problem used by many psychologists to explain the mechanism of 'unblocking' the mind in problem

solving activities. It is probable that this brainteaser gave origin to the expression 'thinking outside the

box'.

One difficulty people have in solving the puzzle is the tendency to make the incorrect assumption that the

line segments must stay within the perimeter of the 9 dots. Many people also make the incorrect

assumption that each line segment must start and end on a dot. These initial false assumptions cause the

person to limit themselves to a point the solution is not possible No matter how many times they try to

draw four straight line segments without lifting the pencil there is always a dot remaining that was not

crossed. You will often see the person trying the same pathway many times. Once they drop that limiting

thought of a boundary (or are told they can do so) the solution seems to be found very fast.

A few free thinkers may try to use curved “line segments” to get a solution. That leads to a good

discussion about setting initial definitions. Some would say the definition of a line segment means that it is

straight. Others may argue that if you mean straight you should say so.

Before you start to solve a problem you should examine carefully any assumptions that you may be

imposing on yourself that are not actually stated in the problem. The best way to do that is to use

clarifying questions.

Can the line segments cross?

Do I need to start at a dot?

Can a dot be crossed more that once.

Can a dot be crossed or touched more that once

Must the line segments be straight?

Is there a limit as to how long each line segment can be?

What about a 3 dimensional solution?

The problem was printed on on a paper or viewed on a flat screen so the assumption is that the surface

the dots lie on must be flat. What if the dots were on a rubber sheet and that sheet was stretched and

placed on a classroom globe. How would that change the problem? You could draw a single line that

wraps around the globe 3 times and goes through the 9 points. Would that “line” really meet the

definition of a line. Not in Euclidean geometry. Euclidean geometry, all work is done on a flat surface.

That is why we call that geometry Plane Euclidean Geometry. Spherical geometry would allow this

solution.

We could change the wording of the problem to state the puzzle must be done on the flat surface of the

paper. That would eliminate the 3 dimensional solution.

The Nine Dot Puzzle

Use a pencil to draw four continuous straight line segments which go through t he middle of all 9 dots

without taking the pencil off the flat surface of the paper.

The “ I redefine what a continuos line and flat surface mean” solution

What do you mean by a flat surface or a continuous line” If I fold the paper a few times as shown in the

pictures below you do get the 9 dots in a row A straight line will go through the middle of the 9 dots. As

the pencil moves along the paper it passes over “gaps” where the folds are. You may not consider this

a continuous line as it bridges several gas in the paper. Clearly if you open up the paper the line is not

continuous. Depending on how you define continuos this may or may not be a good solution. The 9

dots started out on a flat surface. After the folding process the dots are all in line but is the surface that are

on flat? It depends on what you mean by a flat surface. Either way it is another impressive way to try and

solve the problem by challenging the basic assumptions we started the problem with.

Source: MateMagica , Sarcone & Waeber, ISBN: 88-89197-56-0.

We could change the wording of the problem to state the puzzle must be done on the flat paper surface

that cannot be folded in any way. That would eliminate this clever solution.

The Nine Dot Puzzle

Use a pencil to draw four continuous straight line segments which go through t he middle of all 9 dots

without taking the pencil off the flat surface of the paper. You cannot fold the paper in any way.

This puzzle with its many possible solutions is rich in mathematical concepts and vocabulary. You could

use the puzzle to help your students see why we try to be very specific in the wording of our definitions

and theorems. Students always want a shortcut way to write out their work. This may help them see

why you require such precise wording. Unfortunately that precise wording is almost always longer then the

quick and easy one they want to use.

The Nine Smiley Faces Puzzle

Use a pencil to draw four continuous straight line segments which go through the middle of

all 9 smiley faces without taking the pencil off the flat surface of the paper.

The 16 Dot Puzzle

Use a pencil to draw 6 continuous straight line segments which go through the middle of all 16 dots

without taking the pencil off the paper.