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Linked Rings (Posted on 2004-05-29) Difficulty: 2 of 5
Three rings (planar circles) are "linked" together, but you'll notice that none is directly linked with another.
  • The red ring is "behind" the yellow.
  • The yellow ring is "behind" the blue.
  • The blue ring is "behind" the red.
Still, while none is intertwined with another, it is impossible to pull them apart.
_____________________

Is this a paradox?

Can this really be built?

No Solution Yet Submitted by SilverKnight    
Rating: 3.6000 (5 votes)

Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
Some Thoughts Additional comments on the puzzle... | Comment 16 of 19 |
If the rings were oblong instead of circular, you could link them in 3-D so that each link (instead of ring) fits inside the next.  Try it with three paper clips.

There are some 3-D wood puzzles that look like the wood pieces are linked, but of courseone of the wood pices slips, allowing the puzzle to be taken apart/put together.

As far as the possibility of the linked rings (or linked links), it is very possible to build such a thing, but it would have to be manufactured in the linked state--you couldn't put solid, unlinked rings in the configuration shown in the picture.

  Posted by Erik on 2004-06-01 17:07:19
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