The Buttonhole Puzzle

I had to think on this for a while. Also, even after solving the paper version, I couldn't quite get why it was working.

So I decided to try it on this shirt. I can see how the use of the shirt is helping to extend the distance in some way and making the objective of passing the popsicle stick through the hole easier to accomplish.

Although I can't say I fully understand topology.



I say what makes this particular puzzle a topological one is that one must manipulate shapes and spaces within other shapes and spaces to reach a solution. Like the idea of extending the seemingly unextendable in the nametag puzzle, the buttonhole puzzle requires the puzzler to expand shapes making space for the popsicle stick (another shape) to pass through.