# Guidelines for posting/answering a challenging problem or puzzle

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#### MarkFL

Staff member
Hello Everyone,

This forum is for the posting of problems and puzzles which our members find challenging, instructional or interesting and who wish to share them with others. As such, the OP should already have the correct solution ready to post in the event that no correct solution is given within at least 1 week's time. The only exception to the rule that the OP have a solution to the problem is in the case where an "Unsolved Challenge" is being posted. These will be carefully monitored to ensure this feature is not being abused, that is, used as a means of getting help without showing effort.

While certainly not mandatory, we ask that $\LaTeX$ be used where applicable, both by the authors of the problems and by those responding with solutions. I think we can all agree that plain text formatting of all but the simplest of expressions is hard to read and is the reason $\LaTeX$ was developed in the first place.

We kindly ask that only one question be posted per thread, although multiple part questions are fine. Posting more than one question per thread can make the thread/discussion convoluted and hard to follow.

Please do not use copyrighted material, either a problem or solution unless given permission to do so by the author.

Please do not give a link to another site as a means of providing a solution, either by the author of the thread posted here, or by someone responding with a solution.

The authors of and responders to these threads should be prepared to type out their own fully explained, well-written solution and then be ready to field questions asking for clarification and provide additional insights/explanations regarding how the solution was found if asked.

Responses to these threads should be limited to attempts at a full solution, or requests for clarification addressed to the OP if the problem statement is vague or ambiguous. Suggestions and hints should be left up to the OP to make at their discretion.

When posting a solution, please use the spoiler function (The "Sp" button on the toolbar) to hide your solution from others. This allows folks reading the thread to choose whether or not they wish to view the posted solutions.

Riddles that are more humorous or trivial in their solution should be posted in the Chat Room forum, as this forum is for problems and puzzles that require some type of mathematics/logic in order to solve them.

We wish to thank those who participate in posting these challenges and puzzles for the enjoyment of our members, and those taking up the challenge and providing solutions as well.

MHB Staff.

#### MarkFL

Staff member
Hello again everyone,

We have amended the guidelines for posting in this sub-forum, and I am making this post to call attention to this. Please read the new guidelines, and then have fun posting and solving.

Once again, I wish to thank everyone who has helped make this sub-forum such a huge success. MHB is made more fun and informative through your efforts!

I also want to give a reminder to those of you who enjoy challenging problems to check out the POTW problems too. Jameson and Chris L T521 have done and anemone , Ackbach and Euge do a marvelous job with these questions!

#### MarkFL

Staff member
Hello, MHB Community!

Those of you active in this forum have likely noticed some new thread prefixes associated with a few of the threads posted here:

These are the brainchild of our "Challenge Questions and Puzzles" star anemone .

In her tireless quest to find interesting and challenging problems, she has accumulated problems for which no solution has been given, nor can be found. As you know, we normally ask that when you post a Challenge problem, you have a solution to that problem, but we have added the special case where the solution to a challenging problem is being sought, that is not part of a course assignment. Problems presented as an "Unsolved Challenge" will be subject to close scrutiny by the moderating staff, and our staff reserves the right to move any threads that seem suspect in any way.

To mark a challenge problem as unsolved, after you have submitted the thread, click on the "Thread Tools" drop-down menu above the first post, on the right:

Click on "Mark As Unsolved Challenge" and the thread prefix will be added.

Once the problem has received at least one satisfactory solution, then you have the following four choices, listed in decreasing order of preferred action: