How do you solve the dot challenge?

The rules are simple; connect all 9 dots using a maximum of 4 straight lines without lifting your pen off the paper or retracing back over an existing line. Most people will see a square and mentally add lines around it creating the context with which to solve the puzzle.

What is the dot challenge?

Participants are presented with a set of dots arranged in a 3×3 grid and challenged to connect all nine dots, without lifting their pencil from the paper, using the fewest possible number of straight lines.

What is the 9 dot exercise?

Try to connect nine equally spaced dots using four lines or fewer without lifting a pen! This activity literally requires thinking outside of the box in order to solve it.

What does 9 dots mean?

The nine-dot problem is a well-defined problem. It has a clearly stated goal, and all necessary information to solve the problem is included (connect all of the dots using four straight lines, without removing the pen from the paper once you start drawing).

Why is the 9 dot problem so difficult?

Consequently, they hypothesized that the nine-dot problem is difficult because people are so dominated by the perception of a square that the do not ‘see’ the possibility of extending lines outside the square formed by the dots (Scheerer, 1963).

Is it possible to connect 9 dots with 4 lines?

To solve the problem, you need to join all nine dots by drawing no more than four straight lines. The straight lines must be continuous – i.e. you must not lift your pen from the paper once you start drawing. Don’t read any further until you’ve tried to solve the problem.

How does a problem solving algorithm differ from a heuristic?

An algorithm is a step-wise procedure for solving a specific problem in a finite number of steps. The result (output) of an algorithm is predictable and reproducible given the same parameters (input). A heuristic is an educated guess which serves as a guide for subsequent explorations.