Skip to main content

Ponder this

Welcome to our monthly puzzles

You are cordially invited to match wits with some of the best minds in IBM Research.

Seems some of us can't see a problem without wanting to take a crack at solving it. Does that sound like you? Good. Forge ahead and ponder this month's problem. We'll post a new one every month, and allow two to three weeks for you to submit solutions (we may even publish submitted answers, especially if they're correct). We won't reply individually to submitted solutions but every few days we will update a list of people who answered correctly. Towards the end of the month, we'll post the answer.

So give your mind a break from its routine---you never know what other problems you may solve in the process!

The current puzzlemaster is James B. Shearer. He took over from the original puzzlemaster, Don Coppersmith, in October 2005. Starting August 2007, Oded Margalit joined as a co-puzzlemaster every third month.

If you have any problems you think we might enjoy, please send them in. All replies should be sent to: webmaster@watson.ibm.com

Archive

  1. November 2008

    Challenge Solution

  2. October 2008

    Challenge Solution

  3. September 2008

    Challenge Solution

  4. August 2008

    Challenge Solution

  5. July 2008

    Challenge Solution

  6. June 2008

    Challenge Solution

  7. May 2008

    Challenge Solution

  8. April 2008

    Challenge Solution

  9. March 2008

    Challenge Solution

  10. February 2008

    Challenge Solution

  11. January 2008

    Challenge Solution

  12. December 2007

    Challenge Solution

  13. November 2007

    Challenge Solution

  14. October 2007

    Challenge Solution

  15. September 2007

    Challenge Solution

  16. August 2007

    Challenge Solution

  17. July 2007

    Challenge Solution

  18. June 2007

    Challenge Solution

  19. May 2007

    Challenge Solution

  20. April 2007

    Challenge Solution

  21. March 2007

    Challenge Solution

  22. February 2007

    Challenge Solution

  23. January 2007

    Challenge Solution

  24. December 2006

    Challenge Solution

  25. November 2006

    Challenge Solution

  26. October 2006

    Challenge Solution

  27. September 2006

    Challenge Solution

  28. August 2006

    Challenge Solution

  29. July 2006

    Challenge Solution

  30. June 2006

    Challenge Solution

  31. May 2006

    Challenge Solution

  32. April 2006

    Challenge Solution

  33. March 2006

    Challenge Solution

  34. February 2006

    Challenge Solution

  35. January 2006

    Challenge Solution

  36. December 2005

    Challenge Solution

  37. November 2005

    Challenge Solution

  38. October 2005

    Challenge Solution

  39. September 2005

    Challenge Solution

  40. August 2005

    Challenge Solution

  41. July 2005

    Challenge Solution

  42. June 2005

    Challenge Solution

  43. May 2005

    Challenge Solution

  44. April 2005

    Challenge Solution

  45. March 2005

    Challenge Solution

  46. February 2005

    Challenge Solution

  47. January 2005

    Challenge Solution

  48. December 2004

    Challenge Solution

  49. November 2004

    Challenge Solution

  50. October 2004

    Challenge Solution

  51. September 2004

    Challenge Solution

  52. August 2004

    Challenge Solution

  53. July 2004

    Challenge Solution

  54. June 2004

    Challenge Solution

  55. May 2004

    Challenge Solution

  56. April 2004

    Challenge Solution

  57. March 2004

    Challenge Solution

  58. February 2004

    Challenge Solution

  59. January 2004

    Challenge Solution

  60. November 2003

    Challenge Solution

  61. December 2003

    Challenge Solution

  62. October 2003

    Challenge Solution

  63. September 2003

    Challenge Solution

  64. August 2003

    Challenge Solution

  65. July 2003

    Challenge Solution

  66. June 2003

    Challenge Solution

  67. May 2003

    Challenge Solution

  68. April 2003

    Challenge Solution

  69. March 2003

    Challenge Solution

  70. February 2003

    Challenge Solution

  71. January 2003

    Challenge Solution

  72. December 2002

    Challenge Solution

  73. November 2002

    Challenge Solution

  74. October 2002

    Challenge Solution

  75. September 2002

    Challenge Solution

  76. August 2002

    Challenge Solution

  77. July 2002

    Challenge Solution

  78. June 2002

    Challenge Solution

  79. May 2002

    Challenge Solution

  80. April 2002

    Challenge Solution

  81. March 2002

    Challenge Solution

  82. February 2002

    Challenge Solution

  83. January 2002

    Challenge Solution

  84. December 2001

    Challenge Solution

  85. November 2001

    Challenge Solution

  86. October 2001

    Challenge Solution

  87. September 2001

    Challenge Solution

  88. August 2001

    Challenge Solution

  89. July 2001

    Challenge Solution

  90. June 2001

    Challenge Solution

  91. May 2001

    Challenge Solution

  92. April 2001

    Challenge Solution

  93. March 2001

    Challenge Solution

  94. February 2001

    Challenge Solution

  95. January 2001

    Challenge Solution

  96. December 2000

    Challenge Solution

  97. November 2000

    Challenge Solution

  98. October 2000

    Challenge Solution

  99. September 2000

    Challenge Solution

  100. August 2000

    Challenge Solution

  101. July 2000

    Challenge Solution

  102. June 2000

    Challenge Solution

  103. May 2000

    Challenge Solution

  104. April 2000

    Challenge Solution

  105. March 2000

    Challenge Solution

  106. February 2000

    Challenge Solution

  107. January 2000

    Challenge Solution

  108. December 1999

    Challenge Solution

  109. November 1999

    Challenge Solution

  110. October 1999

    Challenge Solution

  111. September 1999

    Challenge Solution

  112. August 1999

    Challenge Solution

  113. July 1999

    Challenge Solution

  114. June 1999

    Challenge Solution

  115. May 1999

    Challenge Solution

  116. April 1999

    Challenge Solution

  117. March 1999

    Challenge Solution

  118. February 1999

    Challenge Solution

  119. January 1999

    Challenge Solution

  120. December 1998

    Challenge Solution

  121. November 1998

    Challenge Solution

  122. October 1998

    Challenge Solution

  123. September 1998

    Challenge Solution

  124. August 1998

    Challenge Solution

  125. July 1998

    Challenge Solution

  126. June 1998

    Challenge Solution

  127. May 1998

    Challenge Solution