Basic strategy games are particularly suitable as starting points for investigations. Players instinctively try to discover a winning strategy, and usually the best way to do this is to analyse the outcomes of series of 'moves'. With a little encouragement from the teacher, a mathematical investigation is born.
This article for teachers describes several games, found on the site, all of which have a related structure that can be used to develop the skills of strategic planning.
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Many natural systems appear to be in equilibrium until suddenly a critical point is reached, setting up a mudslide or an avalanche or an earthquake. In this project, students will use a simple simulation game to investigate the properties of such systems.
Read this article to find out more about the inspiration for NRICH's game, Phiddlywinks.
An introduction to the binomial coefficient, and exploration of some of the formulae it satisfies.
This is about a fiendishly difficult jigsaw and how to solve it using a computer program.
