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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.
Can you coach your rowing eight to win?
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?
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.
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?
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
Bellringers have a special way to write down the patterns they ring. Learn about these patterns and draw some of your own.
Can you recreate these designs? What are the basic units? What movement is required between each unit? Some elegant use of procedures will help - variables not essential.
Label the joints and legs of these graph theory caterpillars so that the vertex sums are all equal.
A pair of Sudoku puzzles that together lead to a complete solution.
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
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?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
Imagine a stack of numbered cards with one on top. Discard the top, put the next card to the bottom and repeat continuously. Can you predict the last card?
This tricky challenge asks you to find ways of going across rectangles, going through exactly ten squares.
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?
A particular technique for solving Sudoku puzzles, known as "naked pair", is explained in this easy-to-read article.
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
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. . . .
In this article, the NRICH team describe the process of selecting solutions for publication on the site.
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?
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
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?
This challenge extends the Plants investigation so now four or more children are involved.
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. . . .
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 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.
A challenging activity focusing on finding all possible ways of stacking rods.
You need to find the values of the stars before you can apply normal Sudoku rules.
Explore this how this program produces the sequences it does. What are you controlling when you change the values of the variables?
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.
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?
60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?
This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?
A Sudoku with a twist.
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. . . .
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.
Each clue number in this sudoku is the product of the two numbers in adjacent cells.
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.
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both sides once you've made the pieces?
Each of the main diagonals of this sudoku must contain the numbers 1 to 9 and each rectangle width the numbers 1 to 4.
Use the clues about the shaded areas to help solve this sudoku
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?
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?
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?
This Sudoku combines all four arithmetic operations.
You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.
Move your counters through this snake of cards and see how far you can go. Are you surprised by where you end up?