All examples show a single straight line segment and some dots, with no dot lying on the line. In left examples the line depicts the Fibonacci recurrence: the two groups of dots are consecutive Fibonacci numbers, and their total is the next Fibonacci number. Here 0 counts as a Fibonacci number (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, ...), so a lone dot with the line beside it fits left as the split 0|1. The six original left examples give each of the splits 0|1, 1|1, 1|2, 2|3, 3|5, and 5|8 exactly once, so their totals run through 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13. Several right examples are near misses: 2|5 uses two Fibonacci numbers that are not adjacent in the sequence, 3|3 repeats a term instead of pairing neighbors, and 0|3 has a Fibonacci total but the wrong split. A dot lying exactly on the dividing line would be ambiguous, so such dots are excluded. This problem was created by hand as a test for AI models that could not have previously seen it in training; see the reference for details.

M. Hodges, Bongard Problems, matthodges.com, 19 Aug 2026. https://matthodges.com/posts/2026-08-19-bongard-problems/

Compare BP334 (even number of dots vs. odd number of dots) and BP202 (even number of shapes vs. odd number of shapes), other Problems solved by counting rather than by geometry.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP1288 BP1289 BP1290 BP1291 BP1292  *  BP1294

The box with five dots on one side of the line and eight on the other fits on the left because 5 and 8 are consecutive Fibonacci numbers, with 13, their total, the next one. The box with two dots on one side and five on the other fits on the right because 2 and 5, although both Fibonacci numbers, are not consecutive. The box with three dots all on one side fits on the right because its split is 0|3 rather than the 1|2 a Fibonacci total of 3 would need.

precise, notso, number, math, left-narrow, traditional

Matt Hodges