Not Your Garden-Variety Birthday Present

by George Barany and Alayne Schroll

This "mid-week level" puzzle (17x17) was released on a date of particular significance to the puzzle's honoree (pictured to the right on a recent vacation with her husband). We have endeavored to make the puzzle accessible to solvers beyond the honoree's family, friends, and colleagues. After completing the puzzle (spoiler), learn more about the puzzle by clicking here for our "midrash." 

Click here to view or download the puzzle in PDF format; here to download it as a puz file; here to download it as an ipuz file [requires the free Puzzazz app to solve]; here to solve the puzzle interactively (thanks to Jim Horne); here for the solution. We thank Christopher Adams, John Child and Martin Herbach for beta testing the puzzle and verifying that it was feasible without any specialized knowledge.

If you want to tell others about this particular page, refer them to
http://tinyurl.com/gardenpuz

More puzzles here (all) and here (tributes).

E-mail barany@umn.edu to be added to a bcc distribution list.