Skip to main content

Can you solve Dongle's Difficult Dilemma? - Dennis E. Shasha

2,160,671 Views

922 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

According to legend, three galactic terraformers shaped your planet into a paradise. When their work was done, they left the source of their power behind: three golden hexagons, hidden in dungeons full of traps and monsters. If one person were to bring all three together, they could reinvent the world however they saw fit. Can you collect the hexagons before your rival? Dennis E. Shasha shows how.

Suppose there are only silver hexagons. Player A has 100 gems and player B has 99. However, player B wins on every tie. Can either player be sure to get three silver hexagons before his/her opponent?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Dennis Shasha
  • Director Igor Coric, Artrake Studio
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

More from Math In Real Life