Arithmagons Poster
Problem
Student Solutions
The numbers in the squares are the sum of the numbers in the circles on either side:
9 = 2 + 7
13 = 6 + 7
How to work out the numbers in the circles from the numbers in the squares
Method 1 - differences
$a +b = 12$
$a + c = 10$
So $b$ is $2$ more than $c,$ so $b = c+2$
$b+c=4,$ so $(c+2)+c = 4$
$\Rightarrow 2c + 2 = 4 \Rightarrow c=1$
$a + c = 10$ so $a=9$
$b+c=4$ so $b=3$
Method 2 - sums
$a+b=12, a+c=10, b+c=4$
Add everything: $a+b+a+c+b+c = 12+10+4 \Rightarrow 2a+2b+2c = 26$
$2a + 2(b+c) = 26\Rightarrow 2a + 2\times 4 = 26\Rightarrow 2a = 26-2\times4\Rightarrow a = 9$
Similarly $2b + 2\times20 = 26 \Rightarrow b = 3$
And $2c + 2\times12 = 26 \Rightarrow c = 1$
Using either of these methods, the missing numbers on the other arithmagons on the poster are: