You may also like

problem icon

The Lady or the Lions

The King showed the Princess a map of the maze and the Princess was allowed to decide which room she would wait in. She was not allowed to send a copy to her lover who would have to guess which path to follow. Which room should she wait in to give her lover the greatest chance of finding her?

problem icon

A Dicey Paradox

Four fair dice are marked differently on their six faces. Choose first ANY one of them. I can always choose another that will give me a better chance of winning. Investigate.

problem icon

Nine or Ten?

Is a score of 9 more likely than a score of 10 when you roll three dice?

Strange Dice

Age 11 to 14 Short Challenge Level:

An unusual die has its six faces labelled 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9.

If two such dice are rolled, and the numbers rolled added together, then how many different sums are possible?

Can you say which sums are most likely?


This problem is adapted from the World Mathematics Championships
You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.
The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.
Copyright © 1997 - 2019. University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.