diff --git a/2021/day-14.py b/2021/day-14.py
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+++ b/2021/day-14.py
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+# --- Day 14: Extended Polymerization ---
+# https://adventofcode.com/2021/day/14
+
+from collections import Counter
+
+
+def parse(input_data):
+    template, rules = input_data.split("\n\n")
+    rules = [rule.strip().split(" -> ") for rule in rules.splitlines()]
+    return template, rules
+
+
+def count_adjacent_pairs(template):
+    pairs = []
+    for i, elem in enumerate(template[1:], start=1):
+        pairs.append(template[i - 1] + elem)
+    return Counter(pairs)
+
+
+def insert(pair_counts, instructions):
+    new_pairs = Counter()
+    old_pairs = []
+    for instruction in instructions:
+        if instruction[0] in pair_counts:
+            old_pairs.append(instruction[0])
+            leading_new_pair = instruction[0][0] + instruction[1]
+            trailing_new_pair = instruction[1] + instruction[0][1]
+            new_pairs[leading_new_pair] += pair_counts[instruction[0]]
+            new_pairs[trailing_new_pair] += pair_counts[instruction[0]]
+
+    for pair in old_pairs:
+        pair_counts[pair] = 0
+    pair_counts += new_pairs
+
+    return pair_counts
+
+
+def iterate(input_data, n_steps):
+    template, instructions = parse(input_data)
+    pair_counts = count_adjacent_pairs(template)
+    for i in range(n_steps):
+        pair_counts = insert(pair_counts, instructions)
+    return pair_counts
+
+
+def solve(input_data, n):
+    """This is not perfect, but it apparently gets with in 1 of the correct answer"""
+    polymer_pair_counts = iterate(input_data, n)
+
+    element_counter = dict()
+    for k, v in polymer_pair_counts.items():
+        for elem in list(k):
+            if elem in element_counter:
+                element_counter[elem] += v
+            else:
+                element_counter[elem] = v
+    c = Counter(element_counter)
+    mc = c.most_common()
+
+    return round((mc[0][1] - mc[-1][1]) / 2)
+
+# I tried the above approach first, but had trouble getting it to work
+# so I implemented the brute force approach. But of course, it doesn't work 
+# on part 2
+
+def insert_brute_force(template, instructions):
+    added = 0
+    to_add = []
+    for i, s in enumerate(template[1:], start=1):
+        for (pair, elem) in instructions:
+            if template[i - 1] + s == pair:
+                added += 1
+                to_add.append((i + added - 1, elem))
+
+    l = list(template)
+    for i, elem in to_add:
+        l.insert(i, elem)
+
+    return "".join(l)
+
+
+def iterate_brute_force(input_data, n_steps):
+
+    template, instructions = parse(input_data)
+    for i in range(n_steps):
+
+        template = insert_brute_force(template, instructions)
+    return template
+
+
+def solve_brute_force(input_data, n):
+    polymer = iterate_brute_force(input_data, n)
+    mc = Counter(polymer).most_common()
+    return mc[0][1] - mc[-1][1]
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    from aocd.models import Puzzle
+
+    test_data = """NNCB
+
+    CH -> B
+    HH -> N
+    CB -> H
+    NH -> C
+    HB -> C
+    HC -> B
+    HN -> C
+    NN -> C
+    BH -> H
+    NC -> B
+    NB -> B
+    BN -> B
+    BB -> N
+    BC -> B
+    CC -> N
+    CN -> C"""
+
+    assert iterate_brute_force(test_data, 1) == "NCNBCHB"
+    assert iterate_brute_force(test_data, 2) == "NBCCNBBBCBHCB"
+
+    assert iterate(test_data, 1) == count_adjacent_pairs("NCNBCHB")
+    assert iterate(test_data, 2) == count_adjacent_pairs("NBCCNBBBCBHCB")
+    assert iterate(test_data, 3) == count_adjacent_pairs("NBBBCNCCNBBNBNBBCHBHHBCHB")
+    assert iterate(test_data, 4) == count_adjacent_pairs(
+        "NBBNBNBBCCNBCNCCNBBNBBNBBBNBBNBBCBHCBHHNHCBBCBHCB"
+    )
+
+    assert solve(test_data, 10) == 1588
+    assert solve_brute_force(test_data, 10) == 1588
+
+    puzzle = Puzzle(2021, 14)
+
+    answer_1 = solve(puzzle.input_data, 10)
+    print(answer_1)
+    puzzle.answer_a = answer_1
+
+    answer_2 = solve(puzzle.input_data, 40)
+    print(answer_2)
+    puzzle.answer_b = answer_2