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#### Resources tagged with Making and proving conjectures similar to Try to Win:

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Broad Topics > Using, Applying and Reasoning about Mathematics > Making and proving conjectures

### Recent Developments on S.P. Numbers

##### Stage: 5

Take a number, add its digits then multiply the digits together, then multiply these two results. If you get the same number it is an SP number.

### Janine's Conjecture

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Janine noticed, while studying some cube numbers, that if you take three consecutive whole numbers and multiply them together and then add the middle number of the three, you get the middle number. . . .

### To Prove or Not to Prove

##### Stage: 4 and 5

A serious but easily readable discussion of proof in mathematics with some amusing stories and some interesting examples.

### The Clue Is in the Question

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

This problem is a sequence of linked mini-challenges leading up to the proof of a difficult final challenge, encouraging you to think mathematically. Starting with one of the mini-challenges, how. . . .

### DOTS Division

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Take any pair of two digit numbers x=ab and y=cd where, without loss of generality, ab > cd . Form two 4 digit numbers r=abcd and s=cdab and calculate: {r^2 - s^2} /{x^2 - y^2}.

### Polite Numbers

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

A polite number can be written as the sum of two or more consecutive positive integers. Find the consecutive sums giving the polite numbers 544 and 424. What characterizes impolite numbers?

### On the Importance of Pedantry

##### Stage: 3, 4 and 5

A introduction to how patterns can be deceiving, and what is and is not a proof.

### Rotating Triangle

##### Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

What happens to the perimeter of triangle ABC as the two smaller circles change size and roll around inside the bigger circle?

### Plus or Minus

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Make and prove a conjecture about the value of the product of the Fibonacci numbers $F_{n+1}F_{n-1}$.

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

With red and blue beads on a circular wire; 'put a red bead between any two of the same colour and a blue between different colours then remove the original beads'. Keep repeating this. What happens?

### Sixty-seven Squared

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Evaluate these powers of 67. What do you notice? Can you convince someone what the answer would be to (a million sixes followed by a 7) squared?

### Discrete Trends

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Find the maximum value of n to the power 1/n and prove that it is a maximum.

### Integral Sandwich

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Generalise this inequality involving integrals.

### What's Possible?

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Many numbers can be expressed as the difference of two perfect squares. What do you notice about the numbers you CANNOT make?

### A Little Light Thinking

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Here is a machine with four coloured lights. Can you make two lights switch on at once? Three lights? All four lights?

### Multiplication Arithmagons

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Can you find the values at the vertices when you know the values on the edges of these multiplication arithmagons?

### Fibonacci Factors

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

For which values of n is the Fibonacci number fn even? Which Fibonnaci numbers are divisible by 3?

### Loopy

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Investigate sequences given by $a_n = \frac{1+a_{n-1}}{a_{n-2}}$ for different choices of the first two terms. Make a conjecture about the behaviour of these sequences. Can you prove your conjecture?

### Cyclic Triangles

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Make and prove a conjecture about the cyclic quadrilateral inscribed in a circle of radius r that has the maximum perimeter and the maximum area.

### Why Stop at Three by One

##### Stage: 5

Beautiful mathematics. Two 18 year old students gave eight different proofs of one result then generalised it from the 3 by 1 case to the n by 1 case and proved the general result.

### Poly Fibs

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

A sequence of polynomials starts 0, 1 and each poly is given by combining the two polys in the sequence just before it. Investigate and prove results about the roots of the polys.

### 2^n -n Numbers

##### Stage: 5

Yatir from Israel wrote this article on numbers that can be written as $2^n-n$ where n is a positive integer.

### How Old Am I?

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

In 15 years' time my age will be the square of my age 15 years ago. Can you work out my age, and when I had other special birthdays?

### Pentagon

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Find the vertices of a pentagon given the midpoints of its sides.

### Polycircles

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Show that for any triangle it is always possible to construct 3 touching circles with centres at the vertices. Is it possible to construct touching circles centred at the vertices of any polygon?

### Problem Solving, Using and Applying and Functional Mathematics

##### Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Problem solving is at the heart of the NRICH site. All the problems give learners opportunities to learn, develop or use mathematical concepts and skills. Read here for more information.

### Prime Sequences

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

This group tasks allows you to search for arithmetic progressions in the prime numbers. How many of the challenges will you discover for yourself?

### Pericut

##### Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Two semicircle sit on the diameter of a semicircle centre O of twice their radius. Lines through O divide the perimeter into two parts. What can you say about the lengths of these two parts?

### Vecten

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Join in this ongoing research. Build squares on the sides of a triangle, join the outer vertices forming hexagons, build further rings of squares and quadrilaterals, investigate.

### Alison's Mapping

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Alison has created two mappings. Can you figure out what they do? What questions do they prompt you to ask?

### Center Path

##### Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Four rods of equal length are hinged at their endpoints to form a rhombus. The diagonals meet at X. One edge is fixed, the opposite edge is allowed to move in the plane. Describe the locus of. . . .

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Points D, E and F are on the the sides of triangle ABC. Circumcircles are drawn to the triangles ADE, BEF and CFD respectively. What do you notice about these three circumcircles?

### Steve's Mapping

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Steve has created two mappings. Can you figure out what they do? What questions do they prompt you to ask?

### Summats Clear

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Find the sum, f(n), of the first n terms of the sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3........p, p, p +1, p + 1,..... Prove that f(a + b) - f(a - b) = ab.

### Few and Far Between?

##### Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Can you find some Pythagorean Triples where the two smaller numbers differ by 1?

### Fixing It

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

A and B are two fixed points on a circle and RS is a variable diamater. What is the locus of the intersection P of AR and BS?

### Curvy Areas

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Have a go at creating these images based on circles. What do you notice about the areas of the different sections?

### Painting by Numbers

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

How many different colours of paint would be needed to paint these pictures by numbers?

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Explore the relationship between quadratic functions and their graphs.

### Close to Triangular

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Drawing a triangle is not always as easy as you might think!

### Trig Rules OK

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Change the squares in this diagram and spot the property that stays the same for the triangles. Explain...

### Pythagorean Fibs

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

What have Fibonacci numbers got to do with Pythagorean triples?

### Tri-split

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

A point P is selected anywhere inside an equilateral triangle. What can you say about the sum of the perpendicular distances from P to the sides of the triangle? Can you prove your conjecture?

### Least of All

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

A point moves on a line segment. A function depends on the position of the point. Where do you expect the point to be for a minimum of this function to occur.

##### Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

The points P, Q, R and S are the midpoints of the edges of a non-convex quadrilateral.What do you notice about the quadrilateral PQRS and its area?

### The Kth Sum of N Numbers

##### Stage: 5

Yatir from Israel describes his method for summing a series of triangle numbers.

### Binary Squares

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

If a number N is expressed in binary by using only 'ones,' what can you say about its square (in binary)?

### OK! Now Prove It

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Make a conjecture about the sum of the squares of the odd positive integers. Can you prove it?

### Conjugate Tracker

##### Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Make a conjecture about the curved track taken by the complex roots of a quadratic equation and use complex conjugates to prove your conjecture.