In this grid horizontal and vertical words are symmetrical about the upper left to lower right diagonal.

This grid is to be reformed by replacing all letters in 6 steps having regard to symmetry, changing one letter at a time and using only English words.

While my solution reflects my title at which you might not arrive, can you at least publish a new grid under my rules?

Asides:
1. Show us any 3 x 3 grids which you have composed from a significantly different initial grid and their development.
2. Beginning with a 4 x 4 grid is it possible to arrive at a new grid, same rules, in 10 steps?

NOTE:
Because of the nature of the language - "English words" - is a difficult phrase to define. If a word seems to need justification then please do so; challenges are otherwise likely.

The following is an example of a 4x4 grid transformed in 10 steps into a new grid:

LIDS   LIPS   LOPS   TOPS   TOPH
IDEA   IDEA   ODEA   ODEA   ODEA
DEAR   PEAR   PEAR   PEAR   PEAR
SARD   SARD   SARD   SARD   HARD

TOPH   TOPH   TOPH   TOPH   TOPH
OLEA   OLEA   OLEO   OLEO   OLIO
PEAR   PEAT   PEAT   PENT   PINT
HARE   HATE   HOTE   HOTE   HOTE

dear - a beloved person or thing
hard - not easy
hare - rabbit-like animal of the Genus Lepus)
hate - intense antipathy or aversion toward
hote - [obsolete] to call; to command; to enjoin
idea - the content of cognition
lids - plural of lid: a movable top or cover
lips - plural of lip: the top edge of a vessel
lops - to cut off from a whole
odea - a theater or concert hall
olea - evergreen trees and shrubs 
oleo - a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils
olio - a mixture; a medley
peat - deposit of organic debris
pent - closely confined
pint - a unit measure of liquid (one half quart)
sard - a deep orange-red variety of chalcedony
toph - kind of sandstone
tops - plural of top: the upper part of something

Posted by Dej Mar on 2007-04-27 16:55:07