Mysterious Knot: 50 Patterns of Knot Solving Brain Teasers

Author: Wang Zongyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Intelligence toys can delight the mind and body, expand thinking, enhance cognitive abilities, and make people smarter and more agile. They are suitable for people of all ages, from teenagers to the elderly. Among the hundreds and thousands of intelligence toys, some may appear simple, such as two bent iron nails connected together (Figure 2), but separating them is not as easy as it seems. We call this type of toy that relies on two interconnected objects for disassembly a "" (kòu). Compared to other types of intelligence toys like rings, handles, ropes, boards, blocks, and beads, the charm and depth of a are not inferior. Its appeal and interest, beyond the mystery, also contain rich mathematical and logical knowledge. The profoundness hidden in simplicity is precisely the value of such toys. In today's high-tech world and amidst the popularity of online games, these simple and rustic still offer intellectual stimulation and joy. Although they operate leisurely and at a slow pace, they require great effort and concentration, thereby awakening people's potential intelligence and cleverness.
The popular toys, with their enduring vitality, have been passed down from ancient times to the present, and they have become even more fascinating in modern times. For example, the Chinese iron nails have bent corners, the German keys (thief's, Figure 11) have become three-dimensional, the American handcuffs (Figure 6) have added rubber cores, and the Dutch "brother" (Figure 2) uses curved surfaces. Additionally, the exquisite design of the "snake" (Figure 7), the intricate structure of the "lock" (Figure 3), the mysterious principle of the "bottle" (Figure 6), the clever symbolism of the Japanese "" (Figure 15), and the unparalleled craftsmanship of the Korean "ring" (Figure 15) are all astonishing.
To promote and celebrate the culture of intellectual toys, to let more people understand and appreciate them, and to make our fashionable lives more vibrant, following The Magical Rope Rings, I have drawn this illustrated guide to disassembly toys—The Mysterious. This book features the first selection of 50 different types of (70 variations) that are already popular in the market. The operation steps and solutions are presented in a clear and practical diagrammatic form. Readers can refer to the illustrations to purchase or create the toys, and they can also find tips and tricks when they encounter difficulties in disassembling them.
To enrich the content of this book, Mr. Lou Weijin, a renowned intelligence toy manufacturer, has contributed his early collection of the "nine-ring ring" (Figure 16). Mr. Zhao Shouyu, who has extensive practical experience in solving intelligence toys, has provided samples of his modified double-nail III, triangular (Figure 9), four-connection, and five-ring (Figure 12), among others.