Stick puzzles are a type of
combination puzzle
A combination puzzle, also known as a sequential move puzzle, is a puzzle which consists of a set of pieces which can be manipulated into different combinations by a group of operations. Many such puzzles are mechanical puzzles of polyhedral s ...
that uses multiple sticks or 'polysticks' (which can be one-dimensional objects) to assemble two- or three-dimensional configurations.
Polysticks are configurations of joined or unjoined thin (ideally one-dimensional) 'sticks'. The sticks may be;
line segment
In geometry, a line segment is a part of a straight line that is bounded by two distinct end points, and contains every point on the line that is between its endpoints. The length of a line segment is given by the Euclidean distance between i ...
s on paper, matchsticks, pieces of straw, wire or similar.
A special class of stick puzzles are '
matchstick puzzles', where all parts used are sticks (usually matchsticks) rather than polysticks. Some trick puzzles can only be solved when one assumes that the sticks actually have measurements in more than one dimension. Three-dimensional arrangements like
tetrastix can also be made from matchsticks.
Examples of stick puzzles
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Matchstick puzzles
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Burr puzzle
A burr puzzle is an interlocking puzzle consisting of notched sticks, combined to make one three-dimensional, usually symmetrical unit.
These puzzles are traditionally made of wood, but versions made of plastic or metal can also be found. Quality ...
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Hexastix
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Stick bomb
References
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[{{cite book , last1=Delft , first1=Pieter van , title=Creative puzzles of the world , date=1978 , publisher=H.N. Abrams , location=New York , isbn=0810921529]
Puzzles