Piet Hein

Danish mathematician

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June 29, 2026

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Piet Hein was a Danish mathematician, poet, and designer, best known for inventing the Soma Cube in 1934. The Soma Cube is a puzzle consisting of seven pieces, each made from three or four congruent cubes joined at their faces. These seven pieces, comprising a total of 27 unit cubes, can be assembled to form a larger cube. Hein also created mathematical games like hex and tac tix. His work on the Soma Cubes has been studied by psychologists for its correlation with general intelligence.12

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number game
Puzzles involving configurations
The game was created by Piet Hein in 1942 in Denmark, where it quickly became popular under the name of polygon. It was invented independently in the United States in 1948 by John Nash, and a few years later one version was marketed under the name of hex.
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The game was created by Piet Hein in 1942 in Denmark, where it quickly became popular under the name of polygon. It was invented independently in the United States in 1948 by John Nash, and a few years later one version was marketed under the name of hex.
Read More

Soma Cube
The Danish mathematician Piet Hein, also known for his invention of the mathematical games known as hex and tac tix, stumbled upon the fact that the seven Soma Cubes can be put together to form a larger cube containing 27 “unit” cubes. He patented his idea for the…
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The Danish mathematician Piet Hein, also known for his invention of the mathematical games known as hex and tac tix, stumbled upon the fact that the seven Soma Cubes can be put together to form a larger cube containing 27 “unit” cubes. He patented his idea for the…
Read More