Explaining, convincing and proving

  • Fixing the Odds
    problem

    Fixing the odds

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    You have two bags, four red balls and four white balls. You must put all the balls in the bags although you are allowed to have one bag empty. How should you distribute the balls between the two bags so as to make the probability of choosing a red ball as small as possible and what will the probability be in that case?
  • Mindreader
    problem

    Mindreader

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    A little bit of algebra explains this 'magic'. Ask a friend to pick 3 consecutive numbers and to tell you a multiple of 3. Then ask them to add the four numbers and multiply by 67, and to tell you the last two digits of her answer. Now you can really amaze her by giving the whole answer and the three consecutive numbers used at the start.
  • A chordingly
    problem

    A chordingly

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    Find the area of the annulus in terms of the length of the chord which is tangent to the inner circle.
  • The Pillar of Chios
    problem

    The pillar of Chios

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    Semicircles are drawn on the sides of a rectangle. Prove that the sum of the areas of the four crescents is equal to the area of the rectangle.

  • Encircling
    problem

    Encircling

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    An equilateral triangle is sitting on top of a square. What is the radius of the circle that circumscribes this shape?
  • Ratty
    problem

    Ratty

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    If you know the sizes of the angles marked with coloured dots in this diagram which angles can you find by calculation?
  • AMGM
    problem

    AMGM

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    Can you use the diagram to prove the AM-GM inequality?

  • Unit fractions
    problem

    Unit fractions

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    Consider the equation 1/a + 1/b + 1/c = 1 where a, b and c are natural numbers and 0 < a < b < c. Prove that there is only one set of values which satisfy this equation.
  • Similarly so
    problem

    Similarly so

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    ABCD is a square. P is the midpoint of AB and is joined to C. A line from D perpendicular to PC meets the line at the point Q. Prove AQ = AD.
  • Disappearing square
    problem

    Disappearing square

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
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    Do you know how to find the area of a triangle? You can count the squares. What happens if we turn the triangle on end? Press the button and see. Try counting the number of units in the triangle now. Do you have any interesting findings to report?