This book is about two things – Puzzles and Mathematics. It talks about how you can model a puzzle mathematically and solve it in an easy, structured and systematic way. So you would not only learn the different mathematical concepts, but also at the same time enjoy solving different well known puzzles. And if that’s not enough, there is a set of interesting puzzles at the end of each chapter, to keep your grey cells ticking. This book not only helps you understand the mathematical concepts in a fun way, but also helps you learn the techniques of solving puzzles in an easy way. So if you like mathematics or puzzles, then you would definitely like this book. This book is recommended for school and college students as it would help them appreciate the practical application of the mathematical concepts they learn as part of their academics. And if you are a serious puzzle solver, then this is the book you are waiting for. Not only does the book teach you the modelling techniques to solve a puzzle, but also challenges you with a set of interesting new puzzles. Written in a simple way, with self-explaining graphical illustrations, this book is a treat.
Research in mathematics is much more than solving puzzles, but most people will agree that solving puzzles is not just fun: it helps focus the mind and increases one's armory of techniques for doing mathematics. Mathematical Puzzles makes this connection explicit by isolating important mathematical methods, then using them to solve puzzles and prove a theorem. Features A collection of the world’s best mathematical puzzles Each chapter features a technique for solving mathematical puzzles, examples, and finally a genuine theorem of mathematics that features that technique in its proof Puzzles that are entertaining, mystifying, paradoxical, and satisfying; they are not just exercises or contest problems.
All puzzles are fun and entertaining. Sometimes we learn an unexpected appreciation for a particular area of learning when it is presented in an enjoyable manner. Most of us love to shop. So, Shopping Math Puzzles – word puzzles based upon shopping – will prove particularly enjoyable, even if word problems were not one of your favorite math assignments in school.Each page in this book contains twenty shopping, word-problem puzzles. Some are multiple-choice, with four possible answers provided, and some require a numerical answer. The correct answers are in reverse order at the bottom of each page.Benefits of Solving Shopping Math PuzzlesThe benefits of solving Shopping Math Puzzles are many. They help teach you how to solve problems in everyday life. You began to practice and solve mathematical word puzzles in elementary school, and you continue as an adult to encounter math word “puzzles” everyday, in real-life situations. Shopping Math Puzzles is an excellent resource to use when teachers test the understanding of a new concept. The puzzles aid in not only understanding the application of math principles, but also improve reading comprehension. Shopping Math PuzzlesProvide an Interesting and Enjoyable ActivityShopping Math Puzzles are implicitly interesting, partly because solving them does not involve a sequence of very similar steps that are designed to practice the same skill. The novelty of the puzzles adds to their interest. Solving Shopping Math Puzzles involves detective work, which most people enjoy. We become deeply involved in the process required for solving the puzzle, and relish getting the answer after having struggled.Create Greater Understanding of Mathematical ProcessesSolving Shopping Math Puzzles requires an understanding of the mathematical process. As we struggle with a puzzle, we often immerse ourselves in obtaining the solution so much that we apply mathematical methods spontaneously. This application gives us a deep understanding of problem solving methods. Promote Positive AttitudesAs we work through a shopping math puzzle, we become so involved we forget that the puzzle solving involves mathematics. Success when we find the answer helps us gain a positive attitude. This is especially effective when these Shopping Math Puzzles are used with students. Introduce and Enhance Research MethodsThe method used to solve Shopping Math Puzzles is similar to the Scientific Method used by a researcher. The solver moves step-by-step through the process. Hence, while solving the puzzle, you learn to apply the thinking processes of the scientific method.Promote Flexibility and CreativitySolving a shopping math puzzle provides an opportunity to explore ideas and to extend creativity. You need to be creative and come up with new ways of tackling problems. What works on one puzzles, may not work on the next. Flexibility in your approach is necessary.Teach General Problem Solving SkillsThe strategies and techniques used in mathematics are used to solve other types of problem. Word problems cannot be solved effectively without the four steps of problem solving:• Understanding the problem• Devising a plan• Carrying out the plan• Looking back and asking if the plan was correct and the problem solvedThese steps are applicable in any problem solving situation.Can be used to Teach Cooperative SkillsShopping Math Puzzles are ideal to work with someone else or in a group. Research has shown that talking out loud helps learning and understanding. Sharing methods of solution can help produce original ideas and increase understanding, resulting in increased enjoyment, learning, and social skills, such as communication.Allow for the Practice of Basic Math SkillsShopping Math Puzzles use basic skills in an interesting situation. Frequently, more than one mathematical function is used to derive the solution. Teachers will find these Shopping Math Puzzles a creative way to practice basic skills.
Number puzzles, spatial/visual puzzles, cryptograms, Sudoku, Kokuro, logic puzzles, and word games like Frame Games are all a great way to teach math and problem-solving skills to elementary and middle school students. In these two new collections, puzzle master Terry Stickels provides puzzles and brain games that range from simple to challenging and are organized by grade level and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) content areas. Each book offers over 300 brain games that will help students learn core math concepts and develop critical thinking skills. The books include a wide range of puzzle types and cover a variety of math topics, from fractions and geometry to probability and algebra.
Algorithmic puzzles are puzzles involving well-defined procedures for solving problems. This book will provide an enjoyable and accessible introduction to algorithmic puzzles that will develop the reader's algorithmic thinking. The first part of this book is a tutorial on algorithm design strategies and analysis techniques. Algorithm design strategies — exhaustive search, backtracking, divide-and-conquer and a few others — are general approaches to designing step-by-step instructions for solving problems. Analysis techniques are methods for investigating such procedures to answer questions about the ultimate result of the procedure or how many steps are executed before the procedure stops. The discussion is an elementary level, with puzzle examples, and requires neither programming nor mathematics beyond a secondary school level. Thus, the tutorial provides a gentle and entertaining introduction to main ideas in high-level algorithmic problem solving. The second and main part of the book contains 150 puzzles, from centuries-old classics to newcomers often asked during job interviews at computing, engineering, and financial companies. The puzzles are divided into three groups by their difficulty levels. The first fifty puzzles in the Easier Puzzles section require only middle school mathematics. The sixty puzzle of average difficulty and forty harder puzzles require just high school mathematics plus a few topics such as binary numbers and simple recurrences, which are reviewed in the tutorial. All the puzzles are provided with hints, detailed solutions, and brief comments. The comments deal with the puzzle origins and design or analysis techniques used in the solution. The book should be of interest to puzzle lovers, students and teachers of algorithm courses, and persons expecting to be given puzzles during job interviews.
PERFECT GIFT FOR MATH PUZZLE LOVERS! Don't get fooled at the cash register anymore! Save money! Get a good brain workout! All puzzles are fun and entertaining. Sometimes we learn an unexpected appreciation for a particular area of learning when it is presented in an enjoyable manner. Most of us love to shop. So, Shopping Math Puzzles - word puzzles based upon shopping - will prove particularly enjoyable, even if word problems were not one of your favorite math assignments in school. Each page in this book contains twenty shopping, word-problem puzzles. Some are multiple-choice, with four possible answers provided, and some require a numerical answer. The correct answers are in reverse order at the bottom of each page. Benefits of Solving Shopping Math Puzzles The benefits of solving Shopping Math Puzzles are many. They help teach you how to solve problems in everyday life. You began to practice and solve mathematical word puzzles in elementary school, and you continue as an adult to encounter math word "puzzles" everyday, in real-life situations. Shopping Math Puzzles is an excellent resource to use when teachers test the understanding of a new concept. The puzzles aid in not only understanding the application of math principles, but also improve reading comprehension. Shopping Math Puzzles Provide an Interesting and Enjoyable Activity Shopping Math Puzzles are implicitly interesting, partly because solving them does not involve a sequence of very similar steps that are designed to practice the same skill. The novelty of the puzzles adds to their interest. Solving Shopping Math Puzzles involves detective work, which most people enjoy. We become deeply involved in the process required for solving the puzzle, and relish getting the answer after having struggled. Create Greater Understanding of Mathematical Processes Solving Shopping Math Puzzles requires an understanding of the mathematical process. As we struggle with a puzzle, we often immerse ourselves in obtaining the solution so much that we apply mathematical methods spontaneously. This application gives us a deep understanding of problem solving methods. Promote Positive Attitudes As we work through a shopping math puzzle, we become so involved we forget that the puzzle solving involves mathematics. Success when we find the answer helps us gain a positive attitude. This is especially effective when these Shopping Math Puzzles are used with students. Introduce and Enhance Research Methods The method used to solve Shopping Math Puzzles is similar to the Scientific Method used by a researcher. The solver moves step-by-step through the process. Hence, while solving the puzzle, you learn to apply the thinking processes of the scientific method. Promote Flexibility and Creativity Solving a shopping math puzzle provides an opportunity to explore ideas and to extend creativity. You need to be creative and come up with new ways of tackling problems. What works on one puzzles, may not work on the next. Flexibility in your approach is necessary.
All puzzles are fun and entertaining. Sometimes we learn an unexpected appreciation for a particular area of learning when it is presented in an enjoyable manner. Most of us love to shop. So, Shopping Math Puzzles – word puzzles based upon shopping – will prove particularly enjoyable, even if word problems were not one of your favorite math assignments in school.Each page in this book contains twenty shopping, word-problem puzzles. Some are multiple-choice, with four possible answers provided, and some require a numerical answer. The correct answers are in reverse order at the bottom of each page.Benefits of Solving Shopping Math PuzzlesThe benefits of solving Shopping Math Puzzles are many. They help teach you how to solve problems in everyday life. You began to practice and solve mathematical word puzzles in elementary school, and you continue as an adult to encounter math word “puzzles” everyday, in real-life situations. Shopping Math Puzzles is an excellent resource to use when teachers test the understanding of a new concept. The puzzles aid in not only understanding the application of math principles, but also improve reading comprehension. Shopping Math PuzzlesProvide an Interesting and Enjoyable ActivityShopping Math Puzzles are implicitly interesting, partly because solving them does not involve a sequence of very similar steps that are designed to practice the same skill. The novelty of the puzzles adds to their interest. Solving Shopping Math Puzzles involves detective work, which most people enjoy. We become deeply involved in the process required for solving the puzzle, and relish getting the answer after having struggled.Create Greater Understanding of Mathematical ProcessesSolving Shopping Math Puzzles requires an understanding of the mathematical process. As we struggle with a puzzle, we often immerse ourselves in obtaining the solution so much that we apply mathematical methods spontaneously. This application gives us a deep understanding of problem solving methods. Promote Positive AttitudesAs we work through a shopping math puzzle, we become so involved we forget that the puzzle solving involves mathematics. Success when we find the answer helps us gain a positive attitude. This is especially effective when these Shopping Math Puzzles are used with students. Introduce and Enhance Research MethodsThe method used to solve Shopping Math Puzzles is similar to the Scientific Method used by a researcher. The solver moves step-by-step through the process. Hence, while solving the puzzle, you learn to apply the thinking processes of the scientific method.Promote Flexibility and CreativitySolving a shopping math puzzle provides an opportunity to explore ideas and to extend creativity. You need to be creative and come up with new ways of tackling problems. What works on one puzzles, may not work on the next. Flexibility in your approach is necessary.Teach General Problem Solving SkillsThe strategies and techniques used in mathematics are used to solve other types of problem. Word problems cannot be solved effectively without the four steps of problem solving:• Understanding the problem• Devising a plan• Carrying out the plan• Looking back and asking if the plan was correct and the problem solvedThese steps are applicable in any problem solving situation.Can be used to Teach Cooperative SkillsShopping Math Puzzles are ideal to work with someone else or in a group. Research has shown that talking out loud helps learning and understanding. Sharing methods of solution can help produce original ideas and increase understanding, resulting in increased enjoyment, learning, and social skills, such as communication.Allow for the Practice of Basic Math SkillsShopping Math Puzzles use basic skills in an interesting situation. Frequently, more than one mathematical function is used to derive the solution. Teachers will find these Shopping Math Puzzles a creative way to practice basic skills.
This book convenes a selection of 200 mathematical puzzles with original solutions, all celebrating the inquisitive and inspiring spirit of Nobuyuki “Nob” Yoshigahara – a legend in the worldwide community of mathematical and mechanical puzzles. A graduate from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yoshigahara invented numerous mechanical puzzles and published over 80 puzzle books. In 2003, he was honored with the Sam Loyd Award, given by the Association for Games & Puzzles International to individuals who have been made a significant contribution to the world of mechanical puzzles. In this work, the reader will find some of the most ingenious puzzles ever created, organized in ten categories: Logic, matchstick, maze, algorithmic, combinatorial, digital, number, geometric, dissection, and others. Some of them could rivalry with those found at Mathematical Olympiads tests around the globe; others will work as powerful brain teasers for those with an interest in problem-solving. Math teachers, curious students of any age and even experienced mathematicians with a taste for the fun in science can find in this book unconventional paths to develop their problem-solving skills in a creative way.
All puzzles are fun and entertaining. Sometimes we learn an unexpected appreciation for a particular area of learning when it is presented in an enjoyable manner. Most of us love to shop. So, Shopping Math Puzzles - word puzzles based upon shopping - will prove particularly enjoyable, even if word problems were not one of your favorite math assignments in school. Each page in this book contains twenty shopping, word-problem puzzles. Some are multiple-choice, with four possible answers provided, and some require a numerical answer. The correct answers are in reverse order at the bottom of each page. Benefits of Solving Shopping Math Puzzles The benefits of solving Shopping Math Puzzles are many. They help teach you how to solve problems in everyday life. You began to practice and solve mathematical word puzzles in elementary school, and you continue as an adult to encounter math word "puzzles" everyday, in real-life situations. Shopping Math Puzzles is an excellent resource to use when teachers test the understanding of a new concept. The puzzles aid in not only understanding the application of math principles, but also improve reading comprehension. Shopping Math Puzzles Provide an Interesting and Enjoyable Activity Shopping Math Puzzles are implicitly interesting, partly because solving them does not involve a sequence of very similar steps that are designed to practice the same skill. The novelty of the puzzles adds to their interest. Solving Shopping Math Puzzles involves detective work, which most people enjoy. We become deeply involved in the process required for solving the puzzle, and relish getting the answer after having struggled. Create Greater Understanding of Mathematical Processes Solving Shopping Math Puzzles requires an understanding of the mathematical process. As we struggle with a puzzle, we often immerse ourselves in obtaining the solution so much that we apply mathematical methods spontaneously. This application gives us a deep understanding of problem solving methods. Promote Positive Attitudes As we work through a shopping math puzzle, we become so involved we forget that the puzzle solving involves mathematics. Success when we find the answer helps us gain a positive attitude. This is especially effective when these Shopping Math Puzzles are used with students. Introduce and Enhance Research Methods The method used to solve Shopping Math Puzzles is similar to the Scientific Method used by a researcher. The solver moves step-by-step through the process. Hence, while solving the puzzle, you learn to apply the thinking processes of the scientific method. Promote Flexibility and Creativity Solving a shopping math puzzle provides an opportunity to explore ideas and to extend creativity. You need to be creative and come up with new ways of tackling problems. What works on one puzzles, may not work on the next. Flexibility in your approach is necessary.
