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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.
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?
Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.
The letters of the word ABACUS have been arranged in the shape of a triangle. How many different ways can you find to read the word ABACUS from this triangular pattern?
Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
It is possible to identify a particular card out of a pack of 15 with the use of some mathematical reasoning. What is this reasoning and can it be applied to other numbers of cards?
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
A particular technique for solving Sudoku puzzles, known as "naked pair", is explained in this easy-to-read article.
This tricky challenge asks you to find ways of going across rectangles, going through exactly ten squares.
A pair of Sudoku puzzles that together lead to a complete solution.
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
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?
Can you coach your rowing eight to win?
The puzzle can be solved with the help of small clue-numbers which are either placed on the border lines between selected pairs of neighbouring squares of the grid or placed after slash marks on. . . .
Rather than using the numbers 1-9, this sudoku uses the nine different letters used to make the words "Advent Calendar".
There is a long tradition of creating mazes throughout history and across the world. This article gives details of mazes you can visit and those that you can tackle on paper.
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.
A package contains a set of resources designed to develop students’ mathematical thinking. This package places a particular emphasis on “being systematic” and is designed to meet. . . .
You need to find the values of the stars before you can apply normal Sudoku rules.
This package contains a collection of problems from the NRICH website that could be suitable for students who have a good understanding of Factors and Multiples and who feel ready to take on some. . . .
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?
Explore this how this program produces the sequences it does. What are you controlling when you change the values of the variables?
60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?
Just four procedures were used to produce a design. How was it done? Can you be systematic and elegant so that someone can follow your logic?
This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?
A Sudoku with a twist.
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
A cinema has 100 seats. Show how it is possible to sell exactly 100 tickets and take exactly £100 if the prices are £10 for adults, 50p for pensioners and 10p for children.
A Sudoku with clues as ratios.
A Latin square of order n is an array of n symbols in which each symbol occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column.
Find out about Magic Squares in this article written for students. Why are they magic?!
The puzzle can be solved by finding the values of the unknown digits (all indicated by asterisks) in the squares of the $9\times9$ grid.
An introduction to bond angle geometry.
This cube has ink on each face which leaves marks on paper as it is rolled. Can you work out what is on each face and the route it has taken?
Move your counters through this snake of cards and see how far you can go. Are you surprised by where you end up?
Take three whole numbers. The differences between them give you three new numbers. Find the differences between the new numbers and keep repeating this. What happens?
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
Try to solve this very difficult problem and then study our two suggested solutions. How would you use your knowledge to try to solve variants on the original problem?
We're excited about this new program for drawing beautiful mathematical designs. Can you work out how we made our first few pictures and, even better, share your most elegant solutions with us?
This challenging activity involves finding different ways to distribute fifteen items among four sets, when the sets must include three, four, five and six items.
A challenging activity focusing on finding all possible ways of stacking rods.
This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.
In this article, the NRICH team describe the process of selecting solutions for publication on the site.
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
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?
If you take a three by three square on a 1-10 addition square and multiply the diagonally opposite numbers together, what is the difference between these products. Why?
You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.
This Sudoku combines all four arithmetic operations.