My two digit number is special because adding the sum of its digits to the product of its digits gives me my original number. What could my number be?
Many numbers can be expressed as the sum of two or more consecutive integers. For example, 15=7+8 and 10=1+2+3+4. Can you say which numbers can be expressed in this way?
Find a cuboid (with edges of integer values) that has a surface
area of exactly 100 square units. Is there more than one? Can you
find them all?
A student in a maths class was trying to get some information from
her teacher. She was given some clues and then the teacher ended by
saying, "Well, how old are they?"
Play the divisibility game to create numbers in which the first two digits make a number divisible by 2, the first three digits make a number divisible by 3...
The number of plants in Mr McGregor's magic potting shed increases
overnight. He'd like to put the same number of plants in each of
his gardens, planting one garden each day. How can he do it?
Ben passed a third of his counters to Jack, Jack passed a quarter
of his counters to Emma and Emma passed a fifth of her counters to
Ben. After this they all had the same number of counters.
Different combinations of the weights available allow you to make different totals. Which totals can you make?
This package contains a collection of problems from the NRICH
website that could be suitable for students who have a good
understanding of Factors and Multiples and who feel ready to take
on some. . . .
The clues for this Sudoku are the product of the numbers in adjacent squares.
Do you notice anything about the solutions when you add and/or
subtract consecutive negative numbers?
If you take a three by three square on a 1-10 addition square and
multiply the diagonally opposite numbers together, what is the
difference between these products. Why?
How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.
Find the smallest whole number which, when mutiplied by 7, gives a
product consisting entirely of ones.
The NRICH team are always looking for new ways to engage teachers
and pupils in problem solving. Here we explain the thinking behind
Can you arrange the numbers 1 to 17 in a row so that each adjacent
pair adds up to a square number?
Given the products of adjacent cells, can you complete this Sudoku?
Charlie and Abi put a counter on 42. They wondered if they could visit all the other numbers on their 1-100 board, moving the counter using just these two operations: x2 and -5. What do you think?
How many different symmetrical shapes can you make by shading triangles or squares?
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
Can you find six numbers to go in the Daisy from which you can make all the numbers from 1 to a number bigger than 25?
You have been given nine weights, one of which is slightly heavier
than the rest. Can you work out which weight is heavier in just two
weighings of the balance?
If you are given the mean, median and mode of five positive whole numbers, can you find the numbers?
A 2 by 3 rectangle contains 8 squares and a 3 by 4 rectangle
contains 20 squares. What size rectangle(s) contain(s) exactly 100
squares? Can you find them all?
Given the products of diagonally opposite cells - can you complete this Sudoku?
A cinema has 100 seats. Show how it is possible to sell exactly 100 tickets and take exactly £100 if the prices are £10 for adults, 50p for pensioners and 10p for children.
Mr McGregor has a magic potting shed. Overnight, the number of
plants in it doubles. He'd like to put the same number of plants in
each of three gardens, planting one garden each day. Can he do it?
First Connect Three game for an adult and child. Use the dice numbers and either addition or subtraction to get three numbers in a straight line.
Try to solve this very difficult problem and then study our two suggested solutions. How would you use your knowledge to try to solve variants on the original problem?
A mathematician goes into a supermarket and buys four items. Using
a calculator she multiplies the cost instead of adding them. How
can her answer be the same as the total at the till?
Each clue number in this sudoku is the product of the two numbers in adjacent cells.
A game for 2 people. Take turns placing a counter on the star. You win when you have completed a line of 3 in your colour.
Here is a Sudoku with a difference! Use information about lowest common multiples to help you solve it.
Use the differences to find the solution to this Sudoku.
Whenever a monkey has peaches, he always keeps a fraction of them each day, gives the rest away, and then eats one. How long could he make his peaches last for?
The puzzle can be solved by finding the values of the unknown digits (all indicated by asterisks) in the squares of the $9\times9$ grid.
This Sudoku puzzle can be solved with the help of small clue-numbers on the border lines between pairs of neighbouring squares of the grid.
Use the interactivity to play two of the bells in a pattern. How do
you know when it is your turn to ring, and how do you know which
bell to ring?
A package contains a set of resources designed to develop
students’ mathematical thinking. This package places a
particular emphasis on “being systematic” and is
designed to meet. . . .
Use the clues about the shaded areas to help solve this sudoku
Draw some isosceles triangles with an area of $9$cm$^2$ and a vertex at (20,20). If all the vertices must have whole number coordinates, how many is it possible to draw?
There is a long tradition of creating mazes throughout history and across the world. This article gives details of mazes you can visit and those that you can tackle on paper.
This Sudoku, based on differences. Using the one clue number can you find the solution?
Find all the ways of placing the numbers 1 to 9 on a W shape, with
3 numbers on each leg, so that each set of 3 numbers has the same
Each of the main diagonals of this sudoku must contain the numbers
1 to 9 and each rectangle width the numbers 1 to 4.
Two sudokus in one. Challenge yourself to make the necessary
A Latin square of order n is an array of n symbols in which each symbol occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column.
This pair of linked Sudokus matches letters with numbers and hides a seasonal greeting. Can you find it?
Find out about Magic Squares in this article written for students. Why are they magic?!
Make your own double-sided magic square. But can you complete both
sides once you've made the pieces?