On the Subject of Multicolored Switches

“AAAAA AAAAA! MY EYES! SOO MANY COLORS!”

See Appendix of Colored Switches for identifying modules in the Colored Switches family.

• This module has five colored switches with colored sockets, 10 colored LEDs, and a tiny LED in the middle.
• To disarm this module, flip the switches into a key configuration while avoiding several invalid configurations.

1. Instructions

• Obtain the following 6 sequences of 5 colors each (left to right):
  • the top row of LEDs when the tiny LED is lit (set A);
  • the top row of LEDs when the tiny LED is unlit (set B);
  • the bottom row of LEDs when the tiny LED is lit (set C); and
  • the bottom row of LEDs when the tiny LED is unlit (set D).
• You will also need the colors of the switches and the sockets.
• Decompose all colors into their Red, Green and Blue component as illustrated in Appendix C0L0R5.
• The 12 results obtained from sets A, B, C and D represent possible switch configurations. The presence of a color represents a switch flipped up and absence represents down. Refer to these as candidates. Out of those, 10 are invalid (result in a strike) and one is the key (which disarms the module). The remaining configuration is safe, as are all configurations not listed.

2. Finding the key set

• Determine which of the three color components (Red, Green and Blue) occur on the switches the maximum and minimum number of times.
• In case of ties, favor Red over the other two, and Green over Blue.
• Out of the candidates obtained from the same color component as the maximum, find the one with the most “up” switches. Favor earlier sets in case of a tie.
• Out of the candidates obtained from the same color component as the minimum, find the one with the fewest “up” switches. Favor earlier sets in case of a tie.
• If the amount of “up” switches in the two candidates are both even or both odd, the set containing the minimum candidate is the key set. Otherwise, it is the set containing the maximum candidate.

3. Finding the key configuration within the key set

• Determine which of the three color components (Red, Green and Blue) occur on the sockets the maximum and minimum number of times.
• If all components occur the same number of times, refer to the next section.
• In a two-way tie, favor Red over the other two, and Green over Blue.
• The configuration corresponding to the minimum component is the key.
• The configuration corresponding to the maximum component is safe.

4. In case of a three-way tie

	Red	Green	Blue
Set A	(2, 3)	(1, 3)	(1, 2)
Set B	(3, 4)	(2, 4)	(2, 3)
Set C	(4, 5)	(3, 5)	(3, 4)
Set D	(5, 6)	(4, 6)	(4, 5)

• Note: in this situation it is possible for the key configuration to not be in the key set.
• In the table on the right, find the row corresponding to the key set.
• Find the column corresponding to the color component that was used in Section 2 to obtain the key set.
• For each of the two numbers shown, count that many unshaded cells in reading order within the table. Observe the row and column labels for those cells.
• The first number reveals the set and color component of the key configuration and the second the safe configuration.

Appendix C0L0R5: Additive color mixing

Fun fact: this section is the only colored section in the entire manual other than the flavour text.