Creating and manipulating expressions and formulae

  • W Mates
    problem

    W Mates

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    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.
  • Algebra from Geometry
    problem

    Algebra From Geometry

    Age
    11 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    Account of an investigation which starts from the area of an annulus and leads to the formula for the difference of two squares.
  • Chocolate 2010
    problem

    Chocolate 2010

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to eat chocolate. Multiply this number by 2...
  • More Polynomial Equations
    problem

    More Polynomial Equations

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Find relationships between the polynomials a, b and c which are polynomials in n giving the sums of the first n natural numbers, squares and cubes respectively.
  • How big?
    problem

    How Big?

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    If the sides of the triangle in the diagram are 3, 4 and 5, what is the area of the shaded square?
  • Lower Bound
    problem

    Lower Bound

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    What would you get if you continued this sequence of fraction sums? 1/2 + 2/1 = 2/3 + 3/2 = 3/4 + 4/3 =
  • Three four five
    problem

    Three Four Five

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Two semi-circles (each of radius 1/2) touch each other, and a semi-circle of radius 1 touches both of them. Find the radius of the circle which touches all three semi-circles.
  • The medieval octagon
    problem

    The Medieval Octagon

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Medieval stonemasons used a method to construct octagons using ruler and compasses... Is the octagon regular? Proof please.
  • Screen Shot
    problem

    Screen Shot

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    A moveable screen slides along a mirrored corridor towards a centrally placed light source. A ray of light from that source is directed towards a wall of the corridor, which it strikes at 45 degrees before being reflected across to the opposite wall and so on until it hits the screen.
  • Relative Powers
    problem

    Relative Powers

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The square of a number is 12 more than the number itself. The cube of the number is 9 times the number. What is the number?