Filter by: Content type: ALL Problems Articles Games Stage: All Stage 1&2 Stage 2&3 Stage 3&4 Stage 4&5 Challenge level:
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?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
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?
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?
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
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 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?
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.
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?
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?
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
If you are given the mean, median and mode of five positive whole numbers, can you find the numbers?
If you have only 40 metres of fencing available, what is the maximum area of land you can fence off?
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...
A pair of Sudoku puzzles that together lead to a complete solution.
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?
The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.
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?
Use the interactivity to listen to the bells ringing a pattern. Now it's your turn! Play one of the bells yourself. How do you know when it is your turn to ring?
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.
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.
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
The idea of this game is to add or subtract the two numbers on the dice and cover the result on the grid, trying to get a line of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?
Label this plum tree graph to make it totally magic!
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
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?
Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.
A particular technique for solving Sudoku puzzles, known as "naked pair", is explained in this easy-to-read article.
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.
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
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?
An extra constraint means this Sudoku requires you to think in diagonals as well as horizontal and vertical lines and boxes of nine.
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. . . .
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. . . .
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. . . .
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.
A Sudoku with a twist.
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?
Find out about Magic Squares in this article written for students. Why are they magic?!
60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?
A Sudoku with clues as ratios.
This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?
You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.
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?
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?