Math E-320:
Teaching Math with a Historical Perspective
Mathematics E-320:
Instructor: Oliver Knill
Office: SciCtr 434


Click on a field close to the hole to move it into the hole. Order the numbers from 1 to 15. The 15 puzzle is an example of a permutation group. By clicking onto a field near the hole, two elements are swapped. This is called a transposition. The permutation group is generated by all these transpositions. Before the Rubik cube came out, this puzzle was the most famous puzzle.
Please send questions and comments to knill@math.harvard.edu
Math E320| Oliver Knill | Spring 2010 | Extension School | Harvard University