Please insert the missing letters in a partially completed 5x5 matrix, so that each row and each column contains the same letters and at least one of the rows represents a common English word.

P****
***X*
**I**
*M*P*
****P

Source: derived from Donald's Knuth's puzzle (2009).

There are two solutions for the arrangement that reveals the word MIXUP. Yet, where the common word is represented in one row -- with the generally accepted concept that in normal display, when both rows and columns are conjointly used as terms, a row is horizontal and a column is vertical -- only the first is a solution for the given problem.

PXMIU            PXUIM
IUPXM            MUPXI
UPIMX            UPIMX
XMUPI            IMXPU
MIXUP            XIMUP

Posted by Dej Mar on 2016-08-31 01:22:05