Bongard Problems sorted left have the keyword "unwordable" on the OEBP.

"Unwordable" does not just mean convoluted, that is, involving a long description. "Unwordable" also does not just mean hard. Unwordable Bongard Problems are instead those Bongard Problems whose solutions tend to occur to people nonverbally before verbally. The typical "unwordable" Bongard Problem solution is not too difficult to see, and may be easy to describe vaguely, but hard to pin down in language.

The solution title given on the OEBP for "unwordable" pages is often something vague and evocative, further elaborated on in the comments. For example, the title for BP524 is "Same objects are shown lined up in both 'universes' vs. the two 'universes' are not aligned." If someone said this, it would be clear they had seen the answer, even though this is not a clear description.

Bongard Problems have been sorted here based on how hard they are to put into words in English. (See keyword culture.) It may be interesting to consider whether or not the same choices would be made with respect to other languages.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP501 BP502 BP503 BP504 BP505  *  BP507 BP508 BP509 BP510 BP511

notso, subjective, meta (see left/right), links, keyword, sideless

bp [smaller | same | bigger]

Aaron David Fairbanks

Left-sorted BPs have the keyword "notso" on the OEBP.

This meta Bongard Problem is about Bongard Problems featuring two rules that are conceptual opposites.

Sometimes both sides could be seen as the "not" side: consider, for example, two definitions of the same Bongard Problem, "shape has hole vs. does not" and "shape is not filled vs. is". It is possible (albeit perhaps unnatural) to phrase the solution either way when the left and right sides partition all possible relevant examples cleanly into two groups (see the allsorted keyword).

When one property is "positive-seeming" and its opposite is "negative-seeming", it usually means the positive property would be recognized without counter-examples (e.g. a collection of triangles will be seen as such), while the negative property wouldn't be recognized without counter-examples (e.g. a collection of "non-triangle shapes" will just be interpreted as "shapes" unless triangles are shown opposite them).

BP513 (keyword left-narrow) is about Bongard Problems whose left side can be recognized without the right side. When a Bongard Problem is left-narrow and not "right-narrow that usually makes the property on the left seem positive and the property on the right seem negative.

The OEBP by convention has preferred the "positive-seeming" property (when there is one) to be on the left side.

All in all, the keyword "notso" should mean:

1) If the Bongard Problem is "narrow" on at least one side, then it is left-narrow.

2) The right side is the conceptual negation of the left side.

If a Bongard Problem's solution is "[Property A] vs. not so", the "not so" side is everything without [Property A] within some suitable context. A Bongard Problem "triangles vs. not so" might only include simple shapes as non-triangles; it need not include images of boats as non-triangles. It is not necessary for all the kitchen sink to be thrown on the "not so" side (although it is here).

See BP1001 for a version sorting pictures of Bongard Problems (miniproblems) instead of links to pages on the OEBP. (This version is a little different. In BP1001, the kitchen sink of all other possible images is always included on the right "not so" side, rather than a context-dependent conceptual negation.)

Contrast keyword viceversa.

"[Property A] vs. not so" Bongard Problems are often allsorted, meaning they sort all relevant examples--but not always, because sometimes there exist ambiguous border cases, unclear whether they fit [Property A] or not.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP862 BP863 BP864 BP865 BP866  *  BP868 BP869 BP870 BP871 BP872

notso, meta (see left/right), links, keyword, left-self, funny

everything [smaller | same]
zoom in left

Aaron David Fairbanks

Left examples have the keyword "sequence" on the OEBP.

Right examples have the keyword "fixedsequence" on the OEBP.

Zero, one, or two objects may technically form a sequence, but if ALL examples of a BP have zero, one, or two objects, we do not consider that BP to be about sequences. BPs about fixed two-object sequences are ordered pairwise comparison BPs, orderedpair.

The world of this Bongard Problem is BP928.

See also grid versus fixedgrid.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP924 BP925 BP926 BP927 BP928  *  BP930 BP931 BP932 BP933 BP934

meta (see left/right), links, keyword

sequence_visualbp [smaller | same | bigger]

Aaron David Fairbanks

Left-sorted Bongard Problems have the keyword "arbitrary" on the OEBP.

Arbitrary BPs often communicate non-arbitrary ideas. M. M. Bongard's original "A vs. Б" Problem (BP100) is about recognizing letters. A choice of some such arbitrary letters was necessary.

Most Bongard Problems are at least slightly arbitrary. Almost any Bongard Problem could be changed in a number of ways to make slightly different Bongard Problems. When a Bongard Problem is labeled as "arbitrary", that means there is one especially obvious class of similar Bongard Problems, with none of them particularly more interesting or special than any other.

The self-referential (invalid) Bongard Problems BP538, BP545, BP902, BP1073 fit this definition (the solution involves the arbitrary detail of being that specific Bongard Problem instead of any other). On the other hand, the solution idea is not arbitrary when phrased with "this Bongard Problem".

Many "arbitrary" Bongard Problems are of the form "Detail X has arbitrary value A vs. not so" or "Detail X has arbitrary value A vs. detail X has arbitrary value B". Other "arbitrary" Bongard Problems feature arbitrary details that are not the distinction between the sides, e.g. BP545.

It is unclear whether or not we should label a Bongard Problem "arbitrary" if the arbitrarily fixed detail is a notable special case. For example, BP1024 could have been made using any number, but the number 1 is a non-arbitrary number, so the Bongard Problem does not seem so arbitrary.

Similar to thespecificity concept BP (BP773), which is more general, including Bongard Problems relating conceptually in any way to arbitrary specificity.

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP945 BP946 BP947 BP948 BP949  *  BP951 BP952 BP953 BP954 BP955

meta (see left/right), links, keyword, right-self, sideless

bp [smaller | same | bigger]

Aaron David Fairbanks

Adjacent-numbered pages:
BP1272 BP1273 BP1274 BP1275 BP1276  *  BP1278 BP1279

meta (see left/right), metaconcept

bp [smaller | same | bigger]

Leo Crabbe