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Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
My two digit number is special because adding the sum of its digits to the product of its digits gives me my original number. What could my number be?
The NRICH team are always looking for new ways to engage teachers and pupils in problem solving. Here we explain the thinking behind maths trails.
This article for teachers describes several games, found on the site, all of which have a related structure that can be used to develop the skills of strategic planning.
The number of plants in Mr McGregor's magic potting shed increases overnight. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of his gardens, planting one garden each day. How can he do it?
A 2 by 3 rectangle contains 8 squares and a 3 by 4 rectangle contains 20 squares. What size rectangle(s) contain(s) exactly 100 squares? Can you find them all?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
You have been given nine weights, one of which is slightly heavier than the rest. Can you work out which weight is heavier in just two weighings of the balance?
Many numbers can be expressed as the sum of two or more consecutive integers. For example, 15=7+8 and 10=1+2+3+4. Can you say which numbers can be expressed in this way?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
Charlie and Lynne put a counter on 42. They wondered if they could visit all the other numbers on their 1-100 board, moving the counter using just these two operations: x2 and -5. What do you think?
Find a cuboid (with edges of integer values) that has a surface area of exactly 100 square units. Is there more than one? Can you find them all?
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.
A Sudoku with a twist.
Solve the equations to identify the clue numbers in this Sudoku problem.
The challenge is to find the values of the variables if you are to solve this Sudoku.
Can you find six numbers to go in the Daisy from which you can make all the numbers from 1 to a number bigger than 25?
Play the divisibility game to create numbers in which the first two digits make a number divisible by 2, the first three digits make a number divisible by 3...
You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.
If you are given the mean, median and mode of five positive whole numbers, can you find the numbers?
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
This is a variation of sudoku which contains a set of special clue-numbers. Each set of 4 small digits stands for the numbers in the four cells of the grid adjacent to this set.
Four numbers on an intersection that need to be placed in the surrounding cells. That is all you need to know to solve this sudoku.
You need to find the values of the stars before you can apply normal Sudoku rules.
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
Ben passed a third of his counters to Jack, Jack passed a quarter of his counters to Emma and Emma passed a fifth of her counters to Ben. After this they all had the same number of counters.
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.
Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
This Sudoku combines all four arithmetic operations.
Pentagram Pylons - can you elegantly recreate them? Or, the European flag in LOGO - what poses the greater problem?
An extra constraint means this Sudoku requires you to think in diagonals as well as horizontal and vertical lines and boxes of nine.
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
This second Sudoku article discusses "Corresponding Sudokus" which are pairs of Sudokus with terms that can be matched using a substitution rule.
Use the interactivity to play two of the bells in a pattern. How do you know when it is your turn to ring, and how do you know which bell to ring?
Can you substitute numbers for the letters in these sums?
An irregular tetrahedron is composed of four different triangles. Can such a tetrahedron be constructed where the side lengths are 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 units of length?
Each of the main diagonals of this sudoku must contain the numbers 1 to 9 and each rectangle width the numbers 1 to 4.
Starting with four different triangles, imagine you have an unlimited number of each type. How many different tetrahedra can you make? Convince us you have found them all.
In this Sudoku, there are three coloured "islands" in the 9x9 grid. Within each "island" EVERY group of nine cells that form a 3x3 square must contain the numbers 1 through 9.
Each clue number in this sudoku is the product of the two numbers in adjacent cells.
A Sudoku with clues as ratios or fractions.
Draw some isosceles triangles with an area of $9$cm$^2$ and a vertex at (20,20). If all the vertices must have whole number coordinates, how many is it possible to draw?
A Sudoku with clues as ratios.
Whenever a monkey has peaches, he always keeps a fraction of them each day, gives the rest away, and then eats one. How long could he make his peaches last for?
Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.
60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?