Can anyone suggest how to solve the Log Pile wooden puzzle using a computer program? See here to visualise the puzzle: http://www.puzzlethis.co.uk/products/madcow/the_log_pile.htm The picture only shows some of the pieces. The full set of 10 pieces are configured as follows with 1 representing a peg, -1 representing a hole and 0 representing neither a peg nor a hole. -1,1,0,-1,0 1,0,1,0,0 1,-1,1,0,0 -1,-1,0,0,-1 -1,1,0,1,0 0,1,0,0,1 1,0,-1,0,-1 0,-1,0,1,0 0,0,-1,1,-1 1,0,-1,0,0 The pieces can be interlocked in two layers of 5 pieces each with the top layer at 90 degrees to the bottom layer as shown in the above link. I have already created a solution to this problem myself using Java but I feel that it was a clumsy solution and I am interested to see some more sophisticated solutions. Feel free to either suggest a general approach or to provide a working program in the language of your choice. My approach was to use the numeric notation above to create an array of "Logs". I then used a combination/permutation generator to try all possible arrangements of the Logs until a solution was found where all the intersections equated to zero (ie. Peg to Hole, Hole to Peg or Blank to Blank). I used some speed-ups to detect the first failed intersection for a given permutation and move on to the next permutation. I hope you find this as interesting as I have. Thanks, Craig.