How many colors are needed to color a map? Must hailstones numbers always fall to the ground? Can statistics prove anything? What is a perfect square, and who has found the ultimate one? How do numbers affect national security? What kinds of problems confront the traveling salesman? Does anyone know how best to pack balls together?
Nearly all puzzle books published today grossly underestimate the intelligence of their public. The reader can no longer be entertained with the simple match-trick or coin puzzles, neither does he want to see problems purely mathematical in nature, such as can be found in any textbook. We have tried to produce a book of those puzzles which lie between the two extremes.
In conducting a mathematical column in the Graham Dial over the past twenty-five years, the author found that the most stimulating experience and the greatest reward for his effort came from the "surprise attack" initiated by readers in solving many of the problems.
Tantalizing teasers including coin and change problems, relative ages, time and distance, and 40 alphametics—innovative letter substitutions. Solutions. Here you will find 150 tantalizing brain-teasers devised by one of the great contemporary inventors of mathematical puzzles. Over 100 problems are in cleverly worded story forms; coin and change problems, relative ages, time and distance problems. Many of these solutions could come up in everyday life. There are also a number of fine "alphametics", innovative letter substitutions you will find specially attractive.
This full-colour student book features a problem based approach to learning mathematics, a consistent lesson model, fully integrated practice, cumulative reviews, investigations, unit problems, strategies toolkits, games ...
