Explaining, convincing and proving

  • Picture Story
    problem

    Picture story

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Can you see how this picture illustrates the formula for the sum of the first six cube numbers?

  • Proximity
    problem

    Proximity

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    We are given a regular icosahedron having three red vertices. Show that it has a vertex that has at least two red neighbours.

  • Gift of Gems
    problem

    Gift of gems

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    Four jewellers share their stock. Can you work out the relative values of their gems?
  • Three cubes
    problem

    Three cubes

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Can you work out the dimensions of the three cubes?

  • Long Short
    problem

    Long short

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    What can you say about the lengths of the sides of a quadrilateral whose vertices are on a unit circle?
  • Triangle midpoints
    problem

    Triangle midpoints

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
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    You are only given the three midpoints of the sides of a triangle. How can you construct the original triangle?

  • Doesn't add up
    problem

    Doesn't add up

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    In this problem we are faced with an apparently easy area problem, but it has gone horribly wrong! What happened?

  • Two Ladders
    problem

    Two ladders

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Two ladders are propped up against facing walls. At what height do the ladders cross?

  • A pointed metal arrowhead on the end of an arrow.
    problem

    Arrowhead

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    The points P, Q, R and S are the midpoints of the edges of a non-convex quadrilateral.What do you notice about the quadrilateral PQRS and its area?

  • Sitting Pretty
    problem

    Sitting pretty

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    A circle of radius r touches two sides of a right angled triangle, sides x and y, and has its centre on the hypotenuse. Can you prove the formula linking x, y and r?