Euclid's Muse

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Search Results for “Puzzler”

By Nick Halsey
Tridecagon Diagonals, Circles and Tangents
You'll want to start out with the heptagon and work your way up. This one's the same as all the others, just with a 13-sided regular polygon. Observe the tangencies to diagonals of circles centered at intersections of diagonals, when the circles are resized (by dragging). This is a smaller version that works well on most monitors (zoom in with two-finger touch). Bigger version here.

Tags: Tridecagon, diagonals, circles, tangents, intersections, puzzler, intricate, confusing, wow

By Nick Halsey
Epic Circle Trace
A line passes intersects a circle at two points. Each point is located proportionally around the circle in terms of a given function of t. The path of the line’s movement is traced as t varies. Try changing/animating t. Can you figure out how each point is constrained, in terms of t? Look at the gx source file for the answer. Hint: look at the period of the movement, and how it changes as t changes.

Tags: Trace, puzzler, circle, proportional-points, functions

By Nick Halsey
Hendecagon Diagonals, Circles and Tangents
Before even attempting to understand this app, take a look at the heptagon and nonagon versions. It’s the same situation here, circles centered at intersection points of diagonals within the hendecagon. Drag the green points to resize the circles. Resize the circles so that they are tangent to at least 4 diagonals at the same time (this case is possible in at least two positions for each circle). How many instances can you find on this one? Notice a trend with this and the other versions? Now that you've got this one, check out the final installment, the tridecagon version.

Tags: Hendecagon, tangents, circles, diagonals, puzzler

By Nick Halsey
Circles, Tangents and Nonagon Diagonals
You may want to see the heptagon version before attempting this one Every diagonal within a regular nonagon is drawn. Circles are centered at each intersection of diagonals along a vertical axis (these same constructions can be made nine times around the nonagon). Each circle can be tangent to at least 4 diagonals when the circle is at least 2 different sizes. Unnecessary diagonals have been hidden. Drag the green points to resize the circles. Can you find all 13 positions where a circle is tangent to at least 4 diagonals? Hint: sometimes the circle is not entirely contained within the nonagon. Ready for more? Check out the hendecagon version!

Tags: Nonagons, Circles, Diagonals, Tangents, Puzzler

By Nick Halsey
Rotating Ellipses with Arcs
Now that you know how two ellipses can rotate such that they are tangent to each other and a third larger ellipse (see this app); the next challenge is to figure out how an arc placed on each ellipse can be constrained (with proportional points along the ellipses) such that each arc always covers half of the ellipse and one endpoint is on the tangent point of the two smaller ellipses.

Tags: Ellipses, conics, puzzler, arcs

By Nick Halsey
Rotating Ellipses
Two ellipses rotate within a third such that the two smaller ellipses are always tangent to each other and the larger ellipse. Adjusting the variable X demonstrates this rotation. All three ellipses are constrained only by their implicit equations, and the moving ellipses' equations include functions of X that allow them to rotate. Can you figure out what the equations are (the other constants in the equations are a, b, h, and k)?

Tags: Ellipses, conics, puzzler


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