Seven Touching Cylinders/Historical Note
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Historical Note on Seven Touching Cylinders
Martin Gardner originally raised the similar Six Touching Cylinders, which was an old puzzle, in his Mathematical Games column in Scientific American.
It was originally written in the context of cigarettes.
On its publication, he received letters from about $15$ readers who had discovered this $7$-cylinder solution.
He credited George Rybicki and John Reynolds for the diagram.
Sources
- 1965: Martin Gardner: Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions: $12$: Nine More Problems: Answers: $1$.
- 1988: Martin Gardner: Hexaflexagons and Other Mathematical Diversions: $12$: Nine More Problems: Answers: $1$.