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Resources tagged with Working systematically similar to A Problem Is Only a Problem When You Can't Do It:

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Broad Topics > Using, Applying and Reasoning about Mathematics > Working systematically

I've Submitted a Solution - What Next?

Stage: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

In this article, the NRICH team describe the process of selecting solutions for publication on the site.

Magic Caterpillars

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Label the joints and legs of these graph theory caterpillars so that the vertex sums are all equal.

Integrated Product Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

This Sudoku puzzle can be solved with the help of small clue-numbers on the border lines between pairs of neighbouring squares of the grid.

Product Doubles Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Each clue number in this sudoku is the product of the two numbers in adjacent cells.

Impuzzable

Stage: 5

This is about a fiendishly difficult jigsaw and how to solve it using a computer program.

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.

Spot the Card

Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

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?

Ratio Sudoku 2

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

A Sudoku with clues as ratios.

Peaches Today, Peaches Tomorrow....

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

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?

Integrated Sums Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

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. . . .

Intersection Sudoku 1

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

A Sudoku with a twist.

Difference Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.

Cinema Problem

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

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.

The Best Card Trick?

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Time for a little mathemagic! Choose any five cards from a pack and show four of them to your partner. How can they work out the fifth?

LOGO Challenge - Sequences and Pentagrams

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Explore this how this program produces the sequences it does. What are you controlling when you change the values of the variables?

Seasonal Twin Sudokus

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?

LOGO Challenge - the Logic of LOGO

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

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?

Twin Corresponding Sudokus II

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.

Magnetic Personality

Stage: 2, 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

60 pieces and a challenge. What can you make and how many of the pieces can you use creating skeleton polyhedra?

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Four small numbers give the clue to the contents of the four surrounding cells.

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

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.

A Long Time at the Till

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

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?

Bent Out of Shape

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

An introduction to bond angle geometry.

Difference Dynamics

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

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?

Introducing NRICH TWILGO

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

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?

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.

Olympic Logic

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?

Interpolating Polynomials

Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Given a set of points (x,y) with distinct x values, find a polynomial that goes through all of them, then prove some results about the existence and uniqueness of these polynomials.

Function Pyramids

Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

A function pyramid is a structure where each entry in the pyramid is determined by the two entries below it. Can you figure out how the pyramid is generated?

Rainstorm Sudoku

Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Use the clues about the shaded areas to help solve this sudoku

Rectangle Outline Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Each of the main diagonals of this sudoku must contain the numbers 1 to 9 and each rectangle width the numbers 1 to 4.

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

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.

Multiplication Equation Sudoku

Stage: 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

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.

Latin Squares

Stage: 3, 4 and 5

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.

LCM Sudoku II

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.

Bochap Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

This Sudoku combines all four arithmetic operations.

Twin Corresponding Sudoku III

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary connections.

Colour Islands Sudoku 2

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

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.

Pole Star Sudoku 2

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?

Twin Equivalent Sudoku

Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

This Sudoku problem consists of a pair of linked standard Suduko puzzles each with some starting digits

Sandwiches

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

Arrange the digits 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3 so that between the two 1's there is one digit, between the two 2's there are two digits, and between the two 3's there are three digits.

Alphabetti Sudoku

Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

This Sudoku requires you to do some working backwards before working forwards.

Equation Sudoku

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

Solve the equations to identify the clue numbers in this Sudoku problem.

All-variables Sudoku

Stage: 3, 4 and 5 Challenge Level:

The challenge is to find the values of the variables if you are to solve this Sudoku.

Diagonal Sums Sudoku

Stage: 2, 3 and 4 Challenge Level:

Solve this Sudoku puzzle whose clues are in the form of sums of the numbers which should appear in diagonal opposite cells.

W Mates

Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Show there are exactly 12 magic labellings of the Magic W using the numbers 1 to 9. Prove that for every labelling with a magic total T there is a corresponding labelling with a magic total 30-T.

LCM Sudoku

Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

Here is a Sudoku with a difference! Use information about lowest common multiples to help you solve it.

Olympic Magic

Stage: 4 Challenge Level:

in how many ways can you place the numbers 1, 2, 3 … 9 in the nine regions of the Olympic Emblem (5 overlapping circles) so that the amount in each ring is the same?

Instant Insanity

Stage: 5 Challenge Level:

Given the nets of 4 cubes with the faces coloured in 4 colours, build a tower so that on each vertical wall no colour is repeated, that is all 4 colours appear.