Mathematics & Measurement, Puzzles, Counting
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Overview
Put your mathematical thinking cap on--because even though these puzzles are toughies, they take insight and brainwork to solve, not a knowledge of calculus or linear algebra or any other kind of advanced math. Consider for a moment:* How can you divide a regular pentagon into five identical pentagonal shapes?
* What is the only decade in American history to contain four prime-numbered years?
* What three right triangles with integer sides have areas numerically equal to twice their perimeters?
Don't worry if the answers don't spring to mind immediately; you'll have plenty of company. Compute without calculators; study the "survival of the splittest" by arithmetically analyzing a little amoeba reproduction; and investigate whether or not a rich man's children are getting a "square deal" with their inheritance. Just don't give up, because you'll have a lot of satisfaction when you figure them out.
Editorials
Children's Literature
This is an official American Mesa Puzzle Book, and my very bright twelve-year-old friend Doug tells me that these puzzles really are very hard. I trust him. They do not require differential calculus, functional analysis or linear algebra, but they do require insight. There are 101 puzzles, and they remind me of those dreaded word problems in math, only much harder. The first puzzle involves alphametrics, where each letter represents an unknown number that has to be identified to solve the puzzle. If you have a few minutes, using all of the digits from 1 to 9, create 3 digit numbers that are in a ration of 1:2:3. By the way, there are four correct solutions. And speaking of solutions, there are 101 of those too, thank heavens. 2001, Sterling, $6.95. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Kristin HarrisBook Details
Published
October 4, 2001
Publisher
Sterling Juvenile
Pages
96
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780806958699