In this article, the NRICH team describe the process of selecting solutions for publication on the site.
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.
A pair of Sudokus with lots in common. In fact they are the same problem but rearranged. Can you find how they relate to solve them both?
A Sudoku based on clues that give the differences between adjacent cells.
Special clue numbers related to the difference between numbers in two adjacent cells and values of the stars in the "constellation" make this a doubly interesting problem.
This sudoku requires you to have "double vision" - two Sudoku's for the price of one
This second Sudoku article discusses "Corresponding Sudokus" which are pairs of Sudokus with terms that can be matched using a substitution rule.
The challenge is to find the values of the variables if you are to solve this Sudoku.
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?
Advent Calendar 2011 - a mathematical activity for each day during the run-up to Christmas.
Label the joints and legs of these graph theory caterpillars so that the vertex sums are all equal.
Pentagram Pylons - can you elegantly recreate them? Or, the European flag in LOGO - what poses the greater problem?
Explore this how this program produces the sequences it does. What are you controlling when you change the values of the variables?
You are given the Lowest Common Multiples of sets of digits. Find the digits and then solve the Sudoku.
Charlie and Abi 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?
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.
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?
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?
Find all the ways of placing the numbers 1 to 9 on a W shape, with 3 numbers on each leg, so that each set of 3 numbers has the same total.
Choose four different digits from 1-9 and put one in each box so that the resulting four two-digit numbers add to a total of 100.
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.
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.
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or subtract consecutive negative numbers?
Replace the letters with numbers to make the addition work out correctly. R E A D + T H I S = P A G E
You need to find the values of the stars before you can apply normal Sudoku rules.
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.
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?
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.
An extra constraint means this Sudoku requires you to think in diagonals as well as horizontal and vertical lines and boxes of nine.
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
Find the values of the nine letters in the sum: FOOT + BALL = GAME
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?
Solve the equations to identify the clue numbers in this Sudoku problem.
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?
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent pair adds up to a square number?
This task encourages you to investigate the number of edging pieces and panes in different sized windows.
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?
The letters in the following addition sum represent the digits 1 ... 9. If A=3 and D=2, what number is represented by "CAYLEY"?
You have twelve weights, one of which is different from the rest. Using just 3 weighings, can you identify which weight is the odd one out, and whether it is heavier or lighter than the rest?
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.
By selecting digits for an addition grid, what targets can you make?
Can you use your powers of logic and deduction to work out the missing information in these sporty situations?
A pair of Sudoku puzzles that together lead to a complete solution.
Mr Smith and Mr Jones are two maths teachers. By asking questions, the answers to which may be right or wrong, Mr Jones is able to find the number of the house Mr Smith lives in... Or not!
15 = 7 + 8 and 10 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4. Can you say which numbers can be expressed as the sum of two or more consecutive integers?
Investigate the different ways that fifteen schools could have given money in a charity fundraiser.
Gabriel multiplied together some numbers and then erased them. Can you figure out where each number was?
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?
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?