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?
Try entering different sets of numbers in the number pyramids. How does the total at the top change?
A game for 2 players that can be played online. Players take it in turns to select a word from the 9 words given. The aim is to select all the occurrences of the same letter.
These formulae are often quoted, but rarely proved. In this article, we derive the formulae for the volumes of a square-based pyramid and a cone, using relatively simple mathematical concepts.
We can show that (x + 1)² = x² + 2x + 1 by considering the area of an (x + 1) by (x + 1) square. Show in a similar way that (x + 2)² = x² + 4x + 4
Triangular numbers can be represented by a triangular array of squares. What do you notice about the sum of identical triangle numbers?
Can you explain the strategy for winning this game with any target?
When number pyramids have a sequence on the bottom layer, some interesting patterns emerge...
What are the areas of these triangles? What do you notice? Can you generalise to other "families" of triangles?
Do you know how to find the area of a triangle? You can count the squares. What happens if we turn the triangle on end? Press the button and see. Try counting the number of units in the triangle now. . . .
Use the interactivity to listen to the bells ringing a pattern. Now it's your turn! Play one of the bells yourself. How do you know when it is your turn to ring?
Can you be the first to complete a row of three?
It's easy to work out the areas of most squares that we meet, but what if they were tilted?
Euler discussed whether or not it was possible to stroll around Koenigsberg crossing each of its seven bridges exactly once. Experiment with different numbers of islands and bridges.
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?
Can you find all the 4-ball shuffles?
Watch this film carefully. Can you find a general rule for explaining when the dot will be this same distance from the horizontal axis?
Can you see why 2 by 2 could be 5? Can you predict what 2 by 10 will be?
This was a problem for our birthday website. Can you use four of these pieces to form a square? How about making a square with all five pieces?
A red square and a blue square overlap so that the corner of the red square rests on the centre of the blue square. Show that, whatever the orientation of the red square, it covers a quarter of the. . . .
This problem is about investigating whether it is possible to start at one vertex of a platonic solid and visit every other vertex once only returning to the vertex you started at.
Place the numbers from 1 to 9 in the squares below so that the difference between joined squares is odd. How many different ways can you do this?
A and B are two interlocking cogwheels having p teeth and q teeth respectively. One tooth on B is painted red. Find the values of p and q for which the red tooth on B contacts every gap on the. . . .
There are nine teddies in Teddy Town - three red, three blue and three yellow. There are also nine houses, three of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?
You can move the 4 pieces of the jigsaw and fit them into both outlines. Explain what has happened to the missing one unit of area.
Arrange the four number cards on the grid, according to the rules, to make a diagonal, vertical or horizontal line.
Slide the pieces to move Khun Phaen past all the guards into the position on the right from which he can escape to freedom.
This article gives you a few ideas for understanding the Got It! game and how you might find a winning strategy.
A game for 2 players. Can be played online. One player has 1 red counter, the other has 4 blue. The red counter needs to reach the other side, and the blue needs to trap the red.
Find out what a "fault-free" rectangle is and try to make some of your own.
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?
Choose 13 spots on the grid. Can you work out the scoring system? What is the maximum possible score?
Here is a chance to play a version of the classic Countdown Game.
NRICH December 2006 advent calendar - a new tangram for each day in the run-up to Christmas.
Have a go at this well-known challenge. Can you swap the frogs and toads in as few slides and jumps as possible?
Our 2008 Advent Calendar has a 'Making Maths' activity for every day in the run-up to Christmas.
Here is a solitaire type environment for you to experiment with. Which targets can you reach?
The idea of this game is to add or subtract the two numbers on the dice and cover the result on the grid, trying to get a line of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?
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.
The aim of the game is to slide the green square from the top right hand corner to the bottom left hand corner in the least number of moves.
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outlines of the lobster, yacht and cyclist?
Can you fit the tangram pieces into the outlines of the chairs?
A tool for generating random integers.
Try out the lottery that is played in a far-away land. What is the chance of winning?
A game for 1 or 2 people. Use the interactive version, or play with friends. Try to round up as many counters as possible.
Can you make the green spot travel through the tube by moving the yellow spot? Could you draw a tube that both spots would follow?
A game for two people, or play online. Given a target number, say 23, and a range of numbers to choose from, say 1-4, players take it in turns to add to the running total to hit their target.
Can you beat Piggy in this simple dice game? Can you figure out Piggy's strategy, and is there a better one?
Can you spot the similarities between this game and other games you know? The aim is to choose 3 numbers that total 15.