Talk Topic: Behind the Scenes at the MIT Mystery Hunt
Kiran Kedlaya, MIT
August 15, 2007

Abstract
The MIT Mystery Hunt may be the most complex regularly held puzzle event in existence. Every January, teams gather for about 48 hours to solve a set of 100-odd interlocking puzzles to find a prize hidden on the MIT campus. Moreover, most of these puzzles come with few or no instructions. How is it possible to put together this event in such a way that it is humanly possible to unravel the mysteries? I'll explain some of my experiences from participating in three such constructions (the Hunts of 2000, 2002, and 2005), with the attitude that good puzzle design is just as much a science as an art.

Bio
Kiran Kedlaya is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at MIT. Previously, he received his PhD from MIT in 2000, and was a postdoc at UC Berkeley. His research is primarily in number theory and algebraic geometry, with occasional forays into combinatorics, algorithms, and cryptography. He has participated in the MIT Mystery Hunt since 1999, as part of the team Setec Astronomy.