Impossible puzzle?

[Lucie]

Well, I solved the Blue Revomaze in 24 days, I have this puzzle 'The Blue Cherry Cake' since 11 years, and I still haven't solved it, I begin to think there must be something wrong with my puzzle, or it must be extremely difficult? Thanks for helping.

[pcad]

Seeing that there's nothing specifically stated that says the final shape has to be a 5x5 square and the second set of diagrams don't show an outline I suspect the solution will have an irregular outline that is symmetrical around the center.

I've found a solution that fits in a slightly larger rectangle that obeys the rules. Sort of looks like a cake that has had random pieces taken from it in a very symmetrical way.

Technically a solution but not as elegant as one would hope. A lot of puzzles are puzzles simply because we assume things about them.

I have not found a solution that fits a 5x5 square.

[Lucie]

The puzzle has a square 5x5 tray, so I always assumed it had to be a square 5x5 cake? Maybe I was wrong.....
Because the puzzle seems impossible I was thinking that maybe one of the cherries was glued wrongly on a piece of the cake.

[pcad]

I agree that it would be better and more elegant to be within a 5x5 square, but the only 2 rules given don't say what the final outline has to be. My solution satisfied the two given rules. Until someone else has a more compact solution this is the best I can come up with.

One thing that indicates my solution isn't the best one is that there are several solutions that fit in the rectangle I'm using. If I come up with anything I'll let you know.

[Lucie]

Thanks, yes maybe we must think outside the box (or tray) and yes I can see a rectangular solution.

[pcad]

The two rules really restrict the distribution of cherries to only one pattern in a 5x5 shape. With the asymmetric piece throwing a monkey wrench into it I doubt there's a 5x5 solution. They showed a square outline to demonstrate the symmetry rule to either mislead the puzzler or to not give away the solution or both.

Some might say that moving a cherry and regluing it or cutting a square off the end of a piece are solutions too. I'm not one of them.

[TheWaddler]

..... Some might say that moving a cherry and regluing it or cutting a square off the end of a piece are solutions too. I'm not one of them.

Those people are not respectable metagrobologists!!!

[robbaylis79]

Ill work this out before I sleep I promise

[pcad]

It would be like cutting the sleeve away from a Revomaze and saying its been solved.

[robbaylis79]

I give up for now, gotta put baby to bed. There is only 1 way you can have the cherries... ive got that far. It just a case of having them in a square now. There not that many different ways of arranging them

Edit: This really is hard! Well there is only 1 way you can have the cherries, the 2 x 2 s cant run with the 3 x 2s end to end (no solutions in this way) and the 4 x 2s cant all be next to each other (same reason as above) Thats as far as ive got. Which doesnt leave much, but I cant find the solution still