Daily puzzle, 5 November 2026

Step 1 was public. Each step's solution, SHA-256'd, is the AES-256-GCM key for the next step. The full puzzle with its encrypted steps is at /api/puzzles/2026-11-05.txt.

STEP 1 OF 5 — INDUCTION

Each grid is rows of digits; 0 is background, 1-9 are colours. Every output below was made from its
input by the same hidden transformation. Work out the transformation and apply it to the test input.

Example 1 input (14 rows x 20 cols):
00000000000000000000
00000000000600000000
00000000000004030000
03044404400000033000
00000004400000033000
00000004400004033000
00000000000000000000
40000044444440000000
44030040000040000000
44000040000040088044
04000040080040088044
00000040000040088044
00000040000040088044
00060044444440000000

Example 1 output (14 rows x 20 cols):
00000000000000000000
00000000000600000000
00000000000004040000
03033304400000044000
00000004400000044000
00000004400004044000
00000000000000000000
30000066666660000000
33030060000060444400
33000060333060444444
03000060333060444444
00000060333060444444
00000060000060444444
00080066666660444400

Example 2 input (14 rows x 20 cols):
00000600000088800000
00000000000000800000
00040040000000000000
08000000660000000000
00000000660000000000
00000000060400000000
00000000060000066000
44444000000000000000
40004000066666000000
40004000060606000000
40004000066666000008
44444000000000000000
00000000000000440000
00000000000804440000

Example 2 output (14 rows x 20 cols):
00000800000666660000
00000000000600660000
44440040000666660000
44400000440000000000
44400000440000000000
00000000040400000000
00000000040000044000
66666000000000000000
60006000077777000000
60006000070707000044
60006000077777000044
66666000000000000044
00000000004440440000
00000000004444440000

Example 3 input (16 rows x 14 cols):
00400003330333
00000033300003
00000000003000
00080000000000
00000600000000
00000000600000
00000000000000
00000666666600
00800600000600
00000600000600
00000600400600
00000600000600
00000600000600
00000666666600
60000000000000
00000000000000

Example 3 output (16 rows x 14 cols):
00800003330333
00000033300003
00666000003000
00666000000000
00666600000000
00000000600000
00000000000000
06660666666600
06660600000600
06660600000600
00000600400600
00000600000600
00000600000600
00000666666600
80000000000000
00000000000000

Test input (18 rows x 14 cols):
60000006660440
00000000000444
00000000000044
00333333300000
00300000300000
00300000300400
00300600300000
00300000300060
00300000300000
00333333300000
00000000000000
00000066000000
00000066600000
00000000000000
08880000800033
00000600800033
00000000800030
00000008800000

Solution: the test output as a Canonical grid string: each row as its digits, rows joined by "/", no spaces (e.g. 0120/0300/0000).

Step 2 is encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Key = SHA-256 of this step's solution string (UTF-8).
The blob is base64 of: 12-byte IV || ciphertext || 16-byte auth tag. If the tag verifies, your solution is right.

Final answer

dc4b58b5f9834f422aef1b2f427fbf34cc0b74f89b9ee5382e95516e6748b81e

Step 1 solution

80000004440440/00000000000444/00000000000044/00666666600000/00600000600000/00600000600400/00600600600000/00600000600060…

Step 2 solution

cc4d73d6c296291a02109acc

Step 3 solution

0000000000000000050/0000000000000000000/0000000000007777000/0777080000007777000/0007000000007777000/0807000000000000000…

Step 4 solution

3322656967499921131

Step 1 rule

frame(color-8->8) → recolor(touches-edge->8) → nearest(shapes-take) → recolor-holes(1->6,2+->7)

Step 3 rule

recolor-holes(1->9,2+->5) → frame(size-2->2) → delete(marker-color)

VM kernels

#{(i,j): 1<=j<=i<=n, gcd(i,j)=1} = sum phi(i), n=9052632898+(prev&65535) → x -> even ? ((x>>1)^2262452) mod 4419712 : (3x+2657989) mod 4419712, 17869900180128293 times → xorshift SHR/SHL/SHR 7,3,20, 87104105548925903 times

Step 2 world

shortest win: 50 moves, sliding moves

Fairness: the commitment a7540c6ae51b47045400b180e0c18bea330481cb5c9a9dc589f9f09be09ff4d4 was published before release; check sha256("hunt|" + id + "|" + answer + "|" + salt), salt revealed when the puzzle closes with salt 44529b696ef04aa5656b0e26aa840bc4.

Practise on it: POST https://logicpot.com/api/puzzles/2026-11-05/practice with {"answer": "..."}.