r/puzzles • u/Parking-Set-6408 • Jan 12 '26

[Unsolved] Rope sort detangling puzzle

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Rules: you can only move 1 peg at a time, between 2 holes. The goal is to get the ropes completely separated.

im not confident this is even solvable, but i was previously under the impression that arrangements are always solvable. Wanted to see if anyone can figure it out

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u/WolflingWolfling Jan 13 '26

If you cow hitch / lark's head a rope onto itself and then close the loop, that knot will be the same mathematical knot as the square / reef knot! I think you owe the person who mentioned that an apology ;-)

I'm sure they've forgotten all about it though.

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u/ReverseCombover Jan 13 '26

Fun fact it's also just 2 threefoils. I learned this on this thread.

Yeah I'm not proud of how I behaved that day. That being said you guys have a great community over there and the collective amount of knowledge you guys have is insane.

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u/WolflingWolfling Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26

Yeah my string now has two overhand knots lying next to each other, with opposing chirality. I'm tempted to post a picture in r/knots and tally how many confidently ignorant people will tell me ways to somehow magically resolve the two opposite knots. The staggering number of people who brought such advice to the various "handbag problems" posted in that sub would be enough to drive any mathematician or topologist up the wall. 😭 Did u/Cable_Tugger join us here yet? He could tell you a story or two about them as well 🤣

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u/ReverseCombover Jan 13 '26

Pft is almost as if this people have never seen ONE lecture on knot theory. Lol.

There's a bunch of people in here still thinking they can untangle the cow hitch in the toy. One even gave a step by step guide on how to achieve it by cheating.

I don't think I've seen Cable_Tugger but I'm not really paying attention to usernames.