Based on the original version is http://planarity.net by @tantalor
Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
21–27 of 27 posts
Re: Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
#22That was a good ride. I Want More!
Re: Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
#23Does anyone else imagine the process of solving these puzzles as turning a crumpled trouser or t-shirt inside out?
For me I'm trying to visualize tetrahedral-like shapes and finding what needs to be the "inside" and "outside" of these to eliminate crossings.
Yes that too.
In most cases I was able to imagine the nodes as lying on a fabric (stiched in the form of a tube) that can be turned inside out.
And there are two "ends" to this.
There is one subset of points that describes the upper opening of the tube, and there is another subset that describes the lower opening.
Our job is to arrange the points such that we are looking down through the upper opening and can see all the way through into the empty space through the lower opening.
In this solved state, the upper opening becomes the outermost permit error of the solved graph, and lower opening becomes the inner most / smallest enclosed space inside the solved graph. Rest of the points are just extra points on the fabric itself that should "stay in view".
Re: Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
#24[dead]
Re: Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
#25Back in grad school I made many visualization for pairwise gene interactions, in SVG and canvas and other web tech, and the best part was always taking a layout and making it planar. So satisfying. And probably just as insightful as most hairball gene network displays... Edit: shoot, there's only 20 of them in this. Maybe I should see if any of that old code still runs...
Yeah, I didn't realize there were only 20 until I hit 20 and it didn't give me any more shapes :( I thoroughly enjoyed the ~20 minutes it gave me lol. I need more.
Re: Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
#26Feels like trying to untangle my headphones (though tangled cords fall under knot theory).
For anyone interested an algorithm for untangling a planar graph is shown at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00454-008-9130-6 (preprint: https://arxiv.org/pdf/0709.0170.pdf).
Re: Interstellar puzzle based on graph theory
#27This has been on the frontpage half a dozen times over the years. I don't entirely understand why, because it's not a novel game to start with, and based on the earlier HN threads even the implementation had been ripped off uncredited. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12937367 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13116845 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16459508 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24050651…
>even the implementation had been ripped off uncredited
Indeed it uses Tronix code (http://pulzed.com/demo/tronix11/) unmodified (in iframe, accessible in https://treksit.com/tron/). Albeit now it's mentioned in credits (https://treksit.com/credits.html) that "web app is based" on it, it'll have been more appropriate to say "web app is using code from".