The September/October 2026 Puzzle Corner is brought to you by Michael S. Branicky, ScD ’95, of the Puzzle Corner Puzzle Crew. This installment features fresh challenges and official solutions for the May/June issue, continuing a tradition established in 1966.
Decoding the 2026 Puzzle Crew Lineup
Mathematics and algorithmic problem-solving have long served as a fundamental proving ground for computer science and engineering minds. Managing this bi-monthly tradition requires rigorous peer-review-style validation of mathematical proofs and combinatorial logic.
Michael S. Branicky is part of the Puzzle Corner Puzzle Crew, which also includes Edward Faulkner ’03, MEng ’04, and Abe Kunin ’03. This collective handles the intricate task of verifying reader submissions, checking edge cases in logical proofs, and selecting problems that test both spatial reasoning and advanced arithmetic.
The column traces its lineage back to Editor emeritus Allan Gottlieb ’67, who launched Puzzle Corner in 1966. For decades, this corner of technical journalism has challenged engineers, software architects, and academics to look beyond commercial codebases and engage with pure, foundational logic.
Submission Guidelines and Historical Archives
Participating in this intellectual exercise demands precision. Readers working through the September/October 2026 challenges must submit their problems and solutions by October 1.
Submissions should be routed directly to [email protected]. Precision in notation matters. Whether dealing with graph theory, probability matrices, or Euclidean geometry, incomplete proofs are routinely discarded by the editorial crew.
For those looking to study historical problem sets, the ecosystem of past columns remains accessible. Back issues through 2022 can be found archived at cs.nyu.edu/~gottlieb/tr. More recent columns are hosted at technologyreview.com/puzzle-corner.
Submission Protocol
- Current Edition: September/October 2026
- Submission Deadline: October 1
- Contact Address: [email protected]
- Leadership: Michael S. Branicky, ScD ’95, Edward Faulkner ’03, MEng ’04, and Abe Kunin ’03
In an era dominated by automated code generation and machine-learning shortcuts, manual cryptographic and logical puzzles maintain a vital niche. They force human engineers to trace execution paths entirely within their own cognitive architecture. Grab a notepad, check your proofs, and submit your solutions before the October deadline.
