Exploring and noticing

  • Folium of Descartes
    problem
    Favourite

    Folium of Descartes

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Investigate the family of graphs given by the equation x^3+y^3=3axy for different values of the constant a.

  • Counting on Letters
    problem

    Counting on Letters

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3
    The letters of the word ABACUS have been arranged in the shape of a triangle. How many different ways can you find to read the word ABACUS from this triangular pattern?
  • Alphabet Soup
    problem

    Alphabet Soup

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3
    This challenge is to make up YOUR OWN alphanumeric. Each letter represents a digit and where the same letter appears more than once it must represent the same digit each time.
  • Only connect
    problem

    Only Connect

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3
    The graph represents a salesman’s area of activity with the shops that the salesman must visit each day. What route around the shops has the minimum total distance?
  • Mobile Numbers
    problem

    Mobile Numbers

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3
    In this investigation, you are challenged to make mobile phone numbers which are easy to remember. What happens if you make a sequence adding 2 each time?
  • Path to the Stars
    problem

    Path to the Stars

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3
    Is it possible to draw a 5-pointed star without taking your pencil off the paper? Is it possible to draw a 6-pointed star in the same way without taking your pen off?
  • Arrange the Digits
    problem

    Arrange the Digits

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3
    Can you arrange the digits 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 into three 3-digit numbers such that their total is close to 1500?
  • A Mean Tetrahedron
    problem

    A Mean Tetrahedron

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3
    Can you number the vertices, edges and faces of a tetrahedron so that the number on each edge is the mean of the numbers on the adjacent vertices and the mean of the numbers on the adjacent faces?
  • Sheep Talk
    problem

    Sheep Talk

    Age
    7 to 11
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3
    In sheep talk the only letters used are B and A. A sequence of words is formed by following certain rules. What do you notice when you count the letters in each word?