For others the connection is not at all apparent. Some are quite obvious, such as the cryptography problems like General Code. My hope is that by looking at a lot of these riddles and their solutions, you’ll build these and other skills, and see that math can be fun.Īs time permits, I’ll write up some brief notes about how certain riddles and their solutions are connected to modern mathematics. Students frequently have trouble in learning to create arguments and proofs it is one thing to follow an argument line by line, and it is an entirely different skill to figure out for yourself what to do next. Far from it - often the less one needs to use, the harder it is to view the problem correctly. It’s important to note that, just because advanced math isn’t used, this doesn’t make the riddles easy to solve. Don’t be afraid to try something - see where it leads! What you do need is some patience, and a willingness to explore. You don’t need calculus for these riddles the most you need to know is some basic combinatorics in a few places. Most, if not all, of these riddles have two very desirable properties: they have an elegant solution, and that solution doesn’t involve advanced mathematics. My hope is that you will use these riddles to excite your students, to throw down the gauntlet and challenge them to think deeply. Doing 40 problems on the quadratic formula might make someone proficient, but it won’t make them passionate. I agree basic skills are important, but they are not exciting. Too often high school and junior high school classes devolve into building (or trying to build) technical mastery. I view many of these riddles as a wonderful tool to show students what is out there in mathematics. All you need to know is basic combinatorics (explicitly, n choose r). If you look at it the right way, you can do it in one line in your head. ![]() It is possible to solve this by brute force, but it will be painful and time consuming. ![]() ![]() One of my favorites, and in fact the riddle that began the site, is C is for Cookie. My favorites are the ones that are related to key concepts in mathematics, where getting the solution shows you a new way of looking at the world. I started collecting and posting riddles. I found these not only a great way to excite and motivate the students, but also a lot of fun! Many of the students were interested in math riddles and brainteasers. I ran many review sessions for a variety of undergraduate classes. I began this webpage back in 1996, when I was a graduate student at Princeton. I’m a professor in the Math/Stats department at Williams College.
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