Being curious

  • Folium of Descartes
    problem

    Folium of Descartes

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
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    Investigate the family of graphs given by the equation x^3+y^3=3axy for different values of the constant a.

  • Climbing Powers
    problem

    Climbing powers

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
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    $2\wedge 3\wedge 4$ could be $(2^3)^4$ or $2^{(3^4)}$. Does it make any difference? For both definitions, which is bigger: $r\wedge r\wedge r\wedge r\dots$ where the powers of $r$ go on for ever, or $(r^r)^r$, where $r$ is $\sqrt{2}$?

  • Days and Dates
    problem

    Days and dates

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    Investigate how you can work out what day of the week your birthday will be on next year, and the year after...

  • Chain of Changes
    problem

    Chain of changes

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
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    Arrange the shapes in a line so that you change either colour or shape in the next piece along. Can you find several ways to start with a blue triangle and end with a red circle?

  • Magnifying glass
    problem

    Number detective

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
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    Follow the clues to find the mystery number.

  • problem

    Buzzy bee

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
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    Buzzy Bee was building a honeycomb. She decorated the honeycomb with a pattern using numbers. Can you discover Buzzy's pattern and fill in the empty cells for her?

  • Colouring Triangles
    problem

    Colouring triangles

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
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    Explore ways of colouring this set of triangles. Can you make symmetrical patterns?

  • Three Squares
    problem

    Three squares

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
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    What is the greatest number of squares you can make by overlapping three squares?

  • Let's Investigate Triangles
    problem

    Let's investigate triangles

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
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    Vincent and Tara are making triangles with the class construction set. They have a pile of strips of different lengths. How many different triangles can they make?

  • problem

    Round and round the circle

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
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    What happens if you join every second point on this circle? How about every third point? Try with different steps and see if you can predict what will happen.