The total number of characters in the original words is 254.
I found my solution using a program that I wrote. I tried using a sort of greedy algorithm to get started, then tried looking at all the simple ways of modifying the string that would improve the score, such as swapping two words, or breaking it at three places and reordering the pieces. Even then I had to hit it over the head with a random variation from time to time to get it restarted when it prematurely thought it had found a solution it couldn't improve. The solution I found can be summarized in the following list:
Overlap Score Total Words
1 1 1 inven T errible
3 9 10 terri BLE mish
4 16 26 ble MISH apen
3 9 35 misha PEN ultimate
2 4 39 penultima TE nse
2 4 43 ten SE em
2 4 47 se EM erge
5 25 72 e MERGE r
3 9 81 mer GER iatric
4 16 97 geria TRIC ky
1 1 98 trick Y es
2 4 102 y ES sential
2 4 106 essenti AL ly
1 1 107 all Y et
2 4 111 y ET ernal
2 4 115 etern AL as
3 9 124 a LAS ting
5 25 149 la STING er
3 9 158 stin GER und
3 9 167 ger UND erdevelop
4 16 183 underdev ELOP ed
3 9 192 elo PED iatric
4 16 208 pedia TRIC e
3 9 217 tr ICE r
3 9 226 i CER tain
2 4 230 certa IN credible
3 9 239 incredi BLE nd
4 16 255 b LEND ing
3 9 264 lend ING rate
4 16 280 ing RATE s
3 9 289 ra TES silate
4 16 305 tessi LATE r
3 9 314 la TER restrial
5 25 339 terres TRIAL s
1 1 340 trial S udden
3 9 349 sud DEN ude
2 4 353 denu DE nse
2 4 357 den SE a
Dennis Shasha's solution is:
Overlap Score Total Words
1 1 1 inven T ense
2 4 5 ten SE em
2 4 9 se EM erge
5 25 34 e MERGE r
3 9 43 mer GER iatric
4 16 59 geria TRIC ky
1 1 60 trick Y es
2 4 64 y ES sential
2 4 68 essenti AL ly
1 1 69 all Y et
2 4 73 y ET ernal
2 4 77 etern AL as
3 9 86 a LAS ting
5 25 111 la STING er
3 9 120 stin GER und
3 9 129 ger UND erdevelop
4 16 145 underdev ELOP ed
3 9 154 elo PED iatric
4 16 170 pedia TRIC e
3 9 179 tr ICE r
3 9 188 i CER tain
2 4 192 certa IN credible
3 9 201 incredi BLE mish
4 16 217 ble MISH apen
3 9 226 misha PEN ultimate
2 4 230 penultima TE rrible
3 9 239 terri BLE nd
4 16 255 b LEND ing
3 9 264 lend ING rate
4 16 280 ing RATE s
3 9 289 ra TES silate
4 16 305 tessi LATE r
3 9 314 la TER restrial
5 25 339 terres TRIAL s
1 1 340 trial S udden
3 9 349 sud DEN ude
2 4 353 denu DE nse
2 4 357 den SE a
Note that the solutions are essentially identical. The strings really differ only in their placement of the "superstrings": (Invent), (Tense...Incredible), (Blemish...Penultimate), (Terrible) and (Blend...Sea).
Back to The Wordsnake Puzzle.