Working systematically

  • Exhaustion
    problem

    Exhaustion

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Find the positive integer solutions of the equation (1+1/a)(1+1/b)(1+1/c) = 2

  • Ante Up
    problem

    Ante Up

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Use cunning to work out a strategy to win this game.

  • Max throw
    problem

    Max Throw

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    At what angle should you throw something to maximise the distance it travels?

  • Crazy Cannons
    problem

    Crazy Cannons

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Two cannons are fired at one another and the cannonballs collide... what can you deduce?

  • A Very Shiny Nose?
    problem

    A Very Shiny Nose?

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    This problem explores the biology behind Rudolph's glowing red nose, and introduces the real life phenomena of bacterial quorum sensing.

  • How fast does it grow?
    problem

    How Fast Does It Grow?

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Exponential functions grow pretty quickly...

  • Spread
    problem

    Spread

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Given the mean and standard deviation of a set of marks, what is the greatest number of candidates who could have scored 100%?

  • Towards Maclaurin
    problem

    Towards Maclaurin

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Build series for the sine and cosine functions by adding one term at a time, alternately making the approximation too big then too small but getting ever closer.

  • Stage 5 Cipher Challenge
    problem

    Stage 5 Cipher Challenge

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Can you crack these very difficult challenge ciphers? How might you systematise the cracking of unknown ciphers?

  • Interpolating polynomials
    problem

    Interpolating Polynomials

    Age
    16 to 18
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Given a set of points (x,y) with distinct x values, find a polynomial that goes through all of them, then prove some results about the existence and uniqueness of these polynomials.