Indices

There are 41 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Indices
How Many Solutions?
problem

How Many Solutions?

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Find all the solutions to the this equation.
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 $\sqrt{2}$?
Growing
problem

Growing

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Which is larger: (a) 1.000001^{1000000} or 2? (b) 100^{300} or 300! (i.e.factorial 300)
Telescoping series
problem

Telescoping series

Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
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Find $S_r = 1^r + 2^r + 3^r + ... + n^r$ where r is any fixed positive integer in terms of $S_1, S_2, ... S_{r-1}$.
More Mods
problem

More Mods

Age
14 to 16
Challenge level
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What is the units digit for the number 123^(456) ?
Card Shuffle
article

Card Shuffle

This article for students and teachers tries to think about how long would it take someone to create every possible shuffle of a pack of cards, with surprising results.
Learn About Number Bases
article

Learn About Number Bases

We are used to writing numbers in base ten, using 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Eg. 75 means 7 tens and five units. This article explains how numbers can be written in any number base.
Sums of Squares and Sums of Cubes
article

Sums of Squares and Sums of Cubes

An account of methods for finding whether or not a number can be written as the sum of two or more squares or as the sum of two or more cubes.