Powers and roots

  • Square Pair Circles
    problem

    Square pair circles

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Investigate the number of points with integer coordinates on circles with centres at the origin for which the square of the radius is a power of 5.
  • Archimedes and numerical roots
    problem

    Archimedes and numerical roots

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The problem is how did Archimedes calculate the lengths of the sides of the polygons which needed him to be able to calculate square roots?
  • Power Crazy
    problem

    Power crazy

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    What can you say about the values of n that make $7^n + 3^n$ a multiple of 10? Are there other pairs of integers between 1 and 10 which have similar properties?
  • Deep Roots
    problem

    Deep roots

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star filled star
    Find integer solutions to: $\sqrt{a+b\sqrt{x}} + \sqrt{c+d.\sqrt{x}}=1$
  • Two Many
    problem

    Two many

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    What is the least square number which commences with six two's?
  • Like Powers
    problem

    Like powers

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    Investigate $1^n + 19^n + 20^n + 51^n + 57^n + 80^n + 82^n $ and $2^n + 12^n + 31^n + 40^n + 69^n + 71^n + 85^n$ for different values of n.
  • Rachel's Problem
    problem

    Rachel's problem

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star filled star
    Is it true that $99^n$ has 2n digits and $999^n$ has 3n digits? Investigate!
  • Giants
    problem

    Giants

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Which is the bigger, 9^10 or 10^9 ? Which is the bigger, 99^100 or 100^99 ?
  • Surds
    problem

    Surds

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Find the exact values of x, y and a satisfying the following system of equations: 1/(a+1) = a - 1 x + y = 2a x = ay
  • Consecutive Squares
    problem

    Consecutive squares

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The squares of any 8 consecutive numbers can be arranged into two sets of four numbers with the same sum. True of false?