The yellow square below can be folded into a single square in many ways. For example, it is relatively easy to fold it so that the sequence of squares from front to back is 123654789. However, it can quickly get very complicated if you start tucking in squares in little holes, getting sequences like 231469785.


It is possible to fold the blue square above so that the letters on the squares from front to back spell PERPLEXUS, provided that you fill the unlabeled squares with the rest of the letters. How should you fill in the unlabeled squares?

(In reply to re: One possible solution? by Charlie)

It don't have a nice sequence of folds, but here goes:

fold the lower third back then the left third to the front, then the top third down, then the middle to the front.

Now for the difficult part :
pull the u out of it's location and tuck it between the x and s. 
And for the final ridiculous part we need to fold the p from square 9 around the outside of 2 edges to make it go from the fron to the back.
  I think this is most easily done by doing this with things somewhat unfolded and folding the e diagonally.  In any case I still end up having to "crush" down a point to invert it.  Even if you can't do the last step you should be able to convince yourslef that the paper can live in the final orientation even if it isn't obvious that it can _get_ there.

A good sequence of folds to get there would be great.

Posted by Joel on 2007-01-12 10:45:27