How are the puzzles defined for creating a Bitcoin block?

[BitcoinArsenal]

I'm trying to understand how block generation works with Bitcoin. What I understand each block is calculated by solving a puzzle through calculation. If a miner solves this puzzle as fastest, next block is created. What is not clear to me, how are the puzzles created for each block?

Are these simple hashes, the miners compute, and which are being tested against an algorithm? If a hash is tested positive against the algorithm, then a new block is created?

If this is true, then I do not understand how the difficulty is included in the algorithm.

[xhomerx10]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

[bob123]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

To be exactly this is a Puzzle.. its called cryptographic Puzzle.. this is used as "Anti dos" atack on Webservers for example.. the Client has to "Invest" computimg Power to be able to communicate with Web Server..
It Works on the right principe.. you have to find Hash with X starting 0's... X equals difficulty.

[xhomerx10]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

To be exactly this is a Puzzle.. its called cryptographic Puzzle.. this is used as "Anti dos" atack on Webservers for example.. the Client has to "Invest" computimg Power to be able to communicate with Web Server..
It Works on the right principe.. you have to find Hash with X starting 0's... X equals difficulty.

 It's not a puzzle.  There is no amusement or entertainment in brute-forcing a mathematical function.  This was a term coined to make it easy to explain to the layman.  It's as much a puzzle as is grinding coffee to make espresso.

Edit: IMHO

[AgentofCoin]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

To be exactly this is a Puzzle.. its called cryptographic Puzzle.. this is used as "Anti dos" atack on Webservers for example.. the Client has to "Invest" computimg Power to be able to communicate with Web Server..
It Works on the right principe.. you have to find Hash with X starting 0's... X equals difficulty.

 It's not a puzzle.  There is no amusement or entertainment in brute-forcing a mathematical function.  This was a term coined to make it easy to explain to the layman.  It's as much a puzzle as is grinding coffee to make espresso.

Edit: IMHO

Yes, finding the next block is not a true puzzle, but is basically just randomly guessing.
Data from the previous block is hashed with a random element (the "nonce") in order
to get a result that the whole network can verify publicly.

A puzzle would imply that the solver is attempting to "find a block" by reasoning.
It is really closer to a trial and error race of guessing. Guess right, you win.

A cryptographic puzzle is more inline with the encryption that which Bitcoin's
public/private key security relies. When it comes to mining, it is just simple hashing.

[Mometaskers]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

What are your suggested reading materials for this? I only use bitcoin for sending and receiving money and so don't know any of the technical stuff related to it. I only have vague idea of the blockchain and the only thing I now about mining is that they solve problems. When I see debates in thread there's plenty of jargon thrown around.

[xhomerx10]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

What are your suggested reading materials for this? I only use bitcoin for sending and receiving money and so don't know any of the technical stuff related to it. I only have vague idea of the blockchain and the only thing I now about mining is that they solve problems. When I see debates in thread there's plenty of jargon thrown around.

 I'm sorry.  I'm on the road right now so I'm working from a tablet.  I'm sure I have a few links on my desktop at home I can post later (it'll be a few days).  If I had save all the stuff I had to read to figure out what mining really is, I could have written a book on the subject. 
 I wonder if someone hasn't already linked this information on Bitcointalk?

[Mometaskers]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

What are your suggested reading materials for this? I only use bitcoin for sending and receiving money and so don't know any of the technical stuff related to it. I only have vague idea of the blockchain and the only thing I now about mining is that they solve problems. When I see debates in thread there's plenty of jargon thrown around.

 I'm sorry.  I'm on the road right now so I'm working from a tablet.  I'm sure I have a few links on my desktop at home I can post later (it'll be a few days).  If I had save all the stuff I had to read to figure out what mining really is, I could have written a book on the subject. 
 I wonder if someone hasn't already linked this information on Bitcointalk?

Probably hidden under a lot of thread? The threads on the first page are always those that have recent activity. I find that a bit annoying since sometimes I would start to read a thread and realize it was from long ago, like 2011 or something and it was only on the first page because someone did a necro. I dunno why they don't allow sorting it by date created. Guess I really have to man up and look for Satoshi's whitepaper. Crossing my fingers that my head don't explode as I read it.

[xhomerx10]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

What are your suggested reading materials for this? I only use bitcoin for sending and receiving money and so don't know any of the technical stuff related to it. I only have vague idea of the blockchain and the only thing I now about mining is that they solve problems. When I see debates in thread there's plenty of jargon thrown around.

 I'm sorry.  I'm on the road right now so I'm working from a tablet.  I'm sure I have a few links on my desktop at home I can post later (it'll be a few days).  If I had save all the stuff I had to read to figure out what mining really is, I could have written a book on the subject. 
 I wonder if someone hasn't already linked this information on Bitcointalk?

Probably hidden under a lot of thread? The threads on the first page are always those that have recent activity. I find that a bit annoying since sometimes I would start to read a thread and realize it was from long ago, like 2011 or something and it was only on the first page because someone did a necro. I dunno why they don't allow sorting it by date created. Guess I really have to man up and look for Satoshi's whitepaper. Crossing my fingers that my head don't explode as I read it.

 I do have the link to where I was schooled on this!

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1496687.0

And I'm still learning

[Mometaskers]

It's not a puzzle.  it is the SHA256 hashing algorithm designed by the NSA.
You keep hashing the block data plus a nonce until you find a value lower than the target. That's the solution.
Oh the target is continually adjusted according to the network hashing rate- every 2016 blocks.
 You haven't read the right material yet.

What are your suggested reading materials for this? I only use bitcoin for sending and receiving money and so don't know any of the technical stuff related to it. I only have vague idea of the blockchain and the only thing I now about mining is that they solve problems. When I see debates in thread there's plenty of jargon thrown around.

 I'm sorry.  I'm on the road right now so I'm working from a tablet.  I'm sure I have a few links on my desktop at home I can post later (it'll be a few days).  If I had save all the stuff I had to read to figure out what mining really is, I could have written a book on the subject. 
 I wonder if someone hasn't already linked this information on Bitcointalk?

Probably hidden under a lot of thread? The threads on the first page are always those that have recent activity. I find that a bit annoying since sometimes I would start to read a thread and realize it was from long ago, like 2011 or something and it was only on the first page because someone did a necro. I dunno why they don't allow sorting it by date created. Guess I really have to man up and look for Satoshi's whitepaper. Crossing my fingers that my head don't explode as I read it.

 I do have the link to where I was schooled on this!

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1496687.0

And I'm still learning

Thanks, I'll try this.