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Connect the dots (also known as connect-the-dots, dot to dot, or join the dots) is a form of
In adult discourse the phrase "connect the dots" can be used as a
Connect the dots (also known as connect-the-dots, dot to dot, or join the dots) is a form of puzzle
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzle ...
containing a sequence of numbered dots. When a line is drawn connecting the dots the outline of an object is revealed. The puzzles frequently contain simple line art
Line art or line drawing is any image that consists of distinct straight lines or curves placed against a background (usually plain), without gradations in shade (darkness) or hue (color) to represent two-dimensional or three-dimensional obje ...
to enhance the image created or to assist in rendering a complex section of the image.
Connect the dots puzzles are generally created for children. The use of numbers can be replaced with letters or other symbols. Versions for older solvers frequently have extra solving steps to discover the order, such as those used in puzzlehunts and the connect-the-dots crosswords invented by Liz Gorski.
Other uses of the term
In adult discourse the phrase "connect the dots" can be used as a metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...
to illustrate an ability (or inability) to associate one idea
In common usage and in philosophy, ideas are the results of thought. Also in philosophy, ideas can also be mental representational images of some object. Many philosophers have considered ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of be ...
with another, to find the "big picture", or salient feature, in a mass of data. It can mean using extrapolation to solve a mystery from clues, or else come to a conclusion from various facts.
The Connect the Dots drawing technique of GPS Drawing involves recording an artists GPS data only at certain points along the route. This can give the image the appearance of a dot to dot puzzle as most of the lines are straight no matter the geography of the area.
Reuven Feuerstein features the connection of dots as the first tool in his cognitive development
Cognitive development is a field of study in neuroscience and psychology focusing on a child's development in terms of information processing, conceptual resources, perceptual skill, language learning, and other aspects of the developed adult bra ...
program.
The travelling salesman problem
The travelling salesman problem (also called the travelling salesperson problem or TSP) asks the following question: "Given a list of cities and the distances between each pair of cities, what is the shortest possible route that visits each cit ...
asks what numbers to assign to a set of points to minimize the length of the drawing.
See also
* Constellation *Trail Making Test
The Trail Making Test is a neuropsychological test of visual attention and task switching. It consists of two parts in which the subject is instructed to connect a set of 25 dots as quickly as possible while still maintaining accuracy. The test c ...
*''Dotto
''Dotto'' was a 1958 American television game show that was a combination of a general knowledge quiz and the children's game connect the dots. Jack Narz served as the program's host, with Colgate-Palmolive as its presenting sponsor. ''Dotto'' ...
''
* Paint by numbers
* https://knollfrank.github.io/DotToDot/
References
{{reflist Puzzles