Pick a Pair of Packets
Solution

Going from separate to alternating: 

        PPPBBB         0: Beginning
          PBBBPP       1: Slide first two P's to other end.
          PBB  PBP     2: Slide last BP pair around last P.
            BPBPBP     3: Slide initial PB into slot, DONE.

Now that you've solved that puzzle, how many moves will it take you to transform "PPPPBBBB" into "BPBPBPBP"?

I give up, show me the solution.

Back to Pick A Pair of Packets.

You can see another version of this puzzle called Poker Chip Swap.

Last revised on 04 February 2001.