Reasoning, convincing and proving

  • No Right Angle Here
    problem

    No right angle here

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star filled star
    Prove that the internal angle bisectors of a triangle will never be perpendicular to each other.
  • Always Two
    problem

    Always two

    Age
    14 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star

    Find all the triples of numbers a, b, c such that each one of them plus the product of the other two is always 2.

  • problem

    Number sandwiches

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

    Can you arrange the digits 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3 to make a Number Sandwich?

  • 2-Digit Square
    problem

    2-digit square

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

    A 2-Digit number is squared. When this 2-digit number is reversed and squared, the difference between the squares is also a square. What is the 2-digit number?

  • 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?

  • 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?

  • Triangle midpoints
    problem

    Triangle midpoints

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

    You are only given the three midpoints of the sides of a triangle. How can you construct the original triangle?

  • Quadratic Harmony
    problem

    Quadratic harmony

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    Find all positive integers a and b for which the two equations: x^2-ax+b = 0 and x^2-bx+a = 0 both have positive integer solutions.
  • Mechanical Integration
    problem

    Mechanical integration

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    To find the integral of a polynomial, evaluate it at some special points and add multiples of these values.
  • Loopy
    problem

    Loopy

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star empty star empty star
    Investigate sequences given by $a_n = \frac{1+a_{n-1}}{a_{n-2}}$ for different choices of the first two terms. Make a conjecture about the behaviour of these sequences. Can you prove your conjecture?