Mathematical Puzzles to Challenge Your Brain
Get ready to put your problem-solving skills to the test with a trio of intriguing puzzles from renowned mathematician Ian Stewart. The three brain teasers, all geometric in nature, require logical thinking and creativity to unravel.
The first puzzle presents a square grid with three missing corner cells. A tile made up of three cells in a line is also provided. Can you cover the entire 33-cell grid using 11 tiles? If not, why is that impossible?
The second conundrum involves a shape that can be cut into four identical pieces along black lines. These pieces can then be rearranged to form another square. But can you find an alternative way to dissect the original shape into equal parts?
Lastly, we have a pizza puzzle that divides three pizzas among five people in two different ways. The question is: what's the minimum number of pieces required so each person receives the same size and type of slice?
Ian Stewart, the UK's beloved math expert, has crafted these puzzles to challenge even the most seasoned mathematicians. With his signature writing style, he weaves together fascinating stories about quests for extremes in mathematics, making this a delightful read for anyone interested in the subject.
As always, no spoilers here - we'll reveal the answers at 5 pm UK time with the original puzzle article. In the meantime, do you have your favorite examples of extreme mathematical concepts? Share them with us!
Get ready to put your problem-solving skills to the test with a trio of intriguing puzzles from renowned mathematician Ian Stewart. The three brain teasers, all geometric in nature, require logical thinking and creativity to unravel.
The first puzzle presents a square grid with three missing corner cells. A tile made up of three cells in a line is also provided. Can you cover the entire 33-cell grid using 11 tiles? If not, why is that impossible?
The second conundrum involves a shape that can be cut into four identical pieces along black lines. These pieces can then be rearranged to form another square. But can you find an alternative way to dissect the original shape into equal parts?
Lastly, we have a pizza puzzle that divides three pizzas among five people in two different ways. The question is: what's the minimum number of pieces required so each person receives the same size and type of slice?
Ian Stewart, the UK's beloved math expert, has crafted these puzzles to challenge even the most seasoned mathematicians. With his signature writing style, he weaves together fascinating stories about quests for extremes in mathematics, making this a delightful read for anyone interested in the subject.
As always, no spoilers here - we'll reveal the answers at 5 pm UK time with the original puzzle article. In the meantime, do you have your favorite examples of extreme mathematical concepts? Share them with us!
. I mean, sure they're fun and all, but can't we just enjoy some good ol' fashioned brain teasers without the "expert" seal of approval from Ian Stewart? It's like he's trying to make you feel bad about not being able to solve them right away 
. And have you ever noticed that most of these puzzles require you to think outside the box, but only if you're willing to follow a bunch of rules and logic... what's the fun in that? 
. The first one about covering the grid using tiles seems straightforward enough but I'm having a gut feeling it's gonna be trickier than it looks 
. The second puzzle about cutting up shapes into identical pieces sounds super fun but I'm kinda curious how you're supposed to dissect a shape in an alternate way without just using the black lines already provided 
. And the pizza puzzle? Mmm, who doesn't love math and pizza?! 
Do we know what kind of math is gonna go into solving that one?
. I mean, who doesn't love a good challenge, right? Reminds me of those Rubik's Cube craze back in the 80s 
. I remember my mate spent weeks trying to solve it and finally did at this crazy math camp thingy... anyway, these puzzles look super interesting!
just saw that climate change is causing sea levels to rise at a rate of 3.2mm per year and that's not even considering the effects of melting glaciers 
and it's gonna get WORSE before it gets better... these math puzzles can't fix our planet problems, sadly 
But what really got me excited is that it's not just about finding the minimum number of pieces, but also about equalizing the size and type of slices. That requires some serious creative problem-solving 
!
. I mean, who needs a calculator when you can use your brain to figure it out? 
, I mean, how many people actually enjoy solving brain teasers in their free time? It's just a bunch of unnecessary complexity to me. and 11 tiles for a 33-cell grid? that's not even close to being challenging... what's next? trying to fit a square peg into a round hole? 
maybe it's because math is all about patterns and logic and stuff, but i mean what if someone just really likes playing with shapes and colors? wouldn't that be awesome too? 
️ - 11 tiles for that grid sounds like a tough nut to crack 
... anyone know if the answers are gonna be super easy or hard? 
still, i love the stories behind his puzzles and how he explains them in an easy-to-understand way. I'm def gonna check out this article later.