Dobble (The Mathematics Of) (2018)
Dobble, or Spot It!, is a card game where players identify common symbols. It involves mathematical principles, optimizing the balance between symbols and cards for efficient gameplay and combinatorial design exploration.
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Dobble, also known as Spot It!, is a card game featuring circular cards with symbols. Each card contains a specific number of symbols, and the game requires players to identify the one symbol that is common between any two cards. The design of the cards adheres to several mathematical requirements: every card must share exactly one symbol with every other card, all cards must have the same number of symbols, and no symbol can appear more than once on a single card. The exploration of how to create such decks leads to various mathematical inquiries, including how many cards can be made with a given number of symbols and how many symbols should be on each card. The article discusses the use of triangular numbers and the pigeonhole principle to derive formulas for the number of cards and symbols. It concludes that with a specific number of symbols per card, it is possible to create a certain number of cards while maximizing the efficiency of symbol usage. The findings suggest that the optimal configuration for the game involves a balance between the number of symbols and the number of cards, allowing for a rich mathematical exploration of combinatorial design.
- Dobble is a card game where players find common symbols between cards.
- Each card must share exactly one symbol with every other card.
- The game involves mathematical principles like triangular numbers and the pigeonhole principle.
- The optimal configuration balances the number of symbols and cards for efficient gameplay.
- The exploration of Dobble's design leads to various combinatorial design inquiries.
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