On the left, each row and column could be labeled by a certain object or concept; on the right this is not so.

More specifically: on the left, each row and each column is associated with a certain object or concept; there is a rule for combining rows and columns to give images; it would be possible without changing the rule to extend with new rows/columns or delete/reorder any existing columns. On the right, this is not so; the rule might be about how the images must relate to their neighbors, for example.

All examples show grids of squares with an image in each square, such that there is some "rule" the images within the grid obey.

Left examples are a generalized version of the analogy grids seen in BP361. Any analogy a : b :: c : d shown in a 2x2 grid will fit on the left here.

To word the solution with mathematical jargon, "defines a (simply described) map from the Cartesian product of two sets vs. not so." Another equivalent solution is "columns (alternatively, rows) illustrate a consistent set of one-input operations." It is always possible to imagine the columns as inputs and the rows as operations and vice versa.

There is a trivial way in which any example can be interpreted so that it fits on the left side: imagine each row is assigned the list of all the squares in that row and each column is assigned its number, counting from the left. But each grid has a clear rule that is simpler than this.

BP1258 is a similar idea: "any square removed could be reconstructed vs. not." Examples included left here usually fit left there, but some do not e.g. EX9998.

See BP979 for use of similar structures but with one square removed from the grid.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP976 BP977 BP978 BP979 BP980  *  BP982 BP983 BP984 BP985 BP986

nice, convoluted, unwordable, notso, teach, structure, rules, grid, miniworlds

grid_of_images_with_rule [smaller | same | bigger]
zoom in left (grid_of_analogies)

Aaron David Fairbanks

Operations depicted in right-sorted examples are called "commutative".

"Order matters" here means that if the objects in the top half were to switch places, the output would look different.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commutative_property

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP1152 BP1153 BP1154 BP1155 BP1156  *  BP1158 BP1159 BP1160 BP1161 BP1162

nice, abstract, unwordable, notso, structure, rules, miniworlds

Leo Crabbe

Jago originally designed this as a triptych. EX9655, EX9656, and EX9657 belong in a third category displayed further right of the two categories shown here. The third category is "all possible ways of matching are equally natural". - Aaron David Fairbanks, Apr 18 2022

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP1186 BP1187 BP1188 BP1189 BP1190  *  BP1192 BP1193 BP1194 BP1195 BP1196

nice, abstract, creativeexamples, structure, miniworlds, dithering

Jago Collins

"Local vs. global."

For clarity, rules involving diagonal neighbors or squares more than one step away are never used.

The similar solution "Each square can be deduced from its neighbors vs. not so" does not quite work; for example EX8114 would then not fit left. See also BP1258 ("Each square can be deduced from the rest vs. not so").

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP1252 BP1253 BP1254 BP1255 BP1256  *  BP1258 BP1259 BP1260 BP1261 BP1262

structure, rules, grid, miniworlds

grid_of_images_with_rule [smaller | same | bigger]

Aaron David Fairbanks

BP839 is about applying opposite transformations to a single object.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP1255 BP1256 BP1257 BP1258 BP1259  *  BP1261 BP1262 BP1263 BP1264 BP1265

easy, nice, abstract, arbitrary, anticomputer, left-null, structure, orderedtriplet, traditional, rules

Aaron David Fairbanks