Designs, Codes and Crypts—A Puzzle Altogether

Abstract

In this paper we present an algebraic specificationof a puzzle commercially available on the toy market which isclosely related to the area of designs, codes and cryptography.The purpose of this article is to show the different ways ofapproaching the problem of solving this puzzle. An algebraicapproach for finding a solution is given. The seemingly unknowncombinatorial type of this puzzle and the lack of a general theoreticalbackground have stimulated the set-up of this paper to be presentedin this volume.