The following was used as the basis of a TV show to illustrate the difference between the way a human mind approaches such a problem and the brute-force approach of a computer that finds the solution by trying all 40,320 possible arrangements of the digits:
Place the digits 1 through 8 in the eight circles shown in the diagram,
but with this restriction:
No two digits next to each other in serial order may go in circles that
are connected by a direct line.
(For example, if 2 is placed in the top circle, neither 1 nor 3 may be
placed in any of the three circles in the horizontal row beneath it,
because each of these circles is connected to the top circle by a direct line.)
There is only one solution , not counting rotations or mirror images.
Solution to the Problem:
Correctly solved by:
| 1. Richard Johnson | La Jolla, California |
| 2. Akash Patel | Columbus, Georgia |
| 3. Walt Arrison | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 4. Jeffrey Gaither | Winchester, Virginia |
| 5. Bill Funk | San Antonio, Texas |
| 6. Erik Stenbäcka | Tullängen, Sweden |
| 7. John Funk | Ventura, California |
| 8. Misty Carlisle | Winchester, Virginia |
| 9. Lucy Flournoy | Columbus, Georgia |
| 10. Kirstine Wynn | St. Olaf College Northfield, Minnesota |
| 11. Franklin Harcourt | Columbus, Georgia |
| 12. James Alarie | University of Michigan -- Flint Flint, Michigan |
| 13. Victor Larsson, Frida Öijerholm | Tullängen, Sweden |
| 14. Ali Alatabi and Christoffer Axelsson | Tullängen, Örebro, Sweden |
| 15. Dave Smith | Toledo, Ohio |
| 16. Scott Valare | Toledo, Ohio |
| 17. Ashleigh Rogers | Winchester, Virginia |
| 18. Mary Margaret | Columbus, Georgia |
| 19. Murray | Georgia |
| 20. Mitchell Lane | Columbus, Georgia |
| 21. David & Judy Dixon | Bennettsville, South Carolina |
| 22. Patrick Mize | Columbus, Georgia |
| 23. Nate Wilson | Winchester, Virginia |
| 24. Celeste Doerwaldt | Winchester, Virginia |
| 25. Brad Stillwagon | Winchester, Virginia |
| 26. Laura LaRusso | Winchester, Virginia |
| 27. Graham Foster | Winchester, Virginia |
| 28. Matt McMurtry | Arlington, Virginia |
| 29. Bec11189 | ---------- |
| 30. Jo Monhollen | Winchester, Virginia |
| 31. BreathStealer | Columbus, Georgia |
| 32. Joo-Ri Lee | Columbus, Georgia |