Soma Puzzle Cube

This 3D-printed model brings to life the classic Soma Cube, a 3×3×3 dissection puzzle invented by Danish polymath Piet Hein in 1933. The puzzle consists of seven unique polycubes that can be assembled into a cube and various other geometric shapes

Model Features

• Block Design: The puzzle pieces have a modern cubic block aesthetic.
• Custom Five-Sided Box Housing: A thoughtfully designed box houses the puzzle. The open side allows easy access while offering a secure and elegant way to display and store the pieces.
• Easy Assembly: There are 240 solutions to the Soma cube, making it an easy entry into dissected cube puzzles.
• Versatile Assembly: Beyond forming a 3×3×3 cube, the Soma Cube pieces can be combined to create a variety of other 3D shapes, enhancing replayability and engagement.

Puzzle Composition
This model is comprised of seven polycubes:

• One Tricube: 3 cubes
• Six Tetracube: 4 cubes

These pieces fit together to create a symmetrical 3×3×3 cube, offering a simple challenge for those who love dissection puzzles. There are a number of other notable, symmetrical ways to assemble the pieces.

Historical Context
The Soma Cube was invented by Piet Hein in 1933 and later popularized by Martin Gardner in the September 1958 Mathematical Games column in Scientific American. It has since become a classic in the world of dissection puzzles, known for its simplicity and depth.

Comparison to Similar Puzzles
While similar in concept to other 3×3×3 dissection puzzles like the Diabolical Cube, the Soma Cube distinguishes itself with a unique set of polycubes and a higher number of possible solutions. The Soma Cube has 240 distinct solutions, excluding rotations and reflections, making it a versatile and engaging puzzle.

Other Puzzles

See some of the other puzzle designs I have uploaded https://makerworld.com/en/collections/3241321

References

1. Coffin, Stewart, Geometric Puzzle Design – Detailed design inspiration and historical background for the puzzle.
2. Coffin, Stewart. The Puzzling World of Polyhedral Dissections (johnrausch.com) – Online copy provided by John Rausch.
3. Wikipedia, Soma Cube (en.wikipedia.org) – Historical and contextual information on the puzzle.