  I suggest that the origin of the Mpemba effect (the freezing of hot water
before cold) is freezing-point depression by solutes, either gaseous or solid,
whose solubility decreases with increasing temperature so that they are removed
when water is heated. They are concentrated ahead of the freezing front by zone
refining in water that has not been heated, reduce the temperature of the
freezing front, and thereby reduce the temperature gradient and heat flux,
slowing the progress of the front. I present a simple calculation of this
effect, and suggest experiments to test this hypothesis.
