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Water pouring puzzle. Starting state of the standard puzzle; a jug filled with 8 units of water, and two empty jugs of sizes 5 and 3. The solver must pour the water so that the first and second jugs both contain 4 units, and the third is empty. Water pouring puzzles (also called water jug problems, decanting problems, [1][2] measuring puzzles ...
First, you have to understand the problem. [2] After understanding, make a plan. [3] Carry out the plan. [4] Look back on your work. [5] How could it be better? If this technique fails, Pólya advises: [6] "If you cannot solve the proposed problem, try to solve first some related problem. Could you imagine a more accessible related problem?"
The Ages of Three Children puzzle (sometimes referred to as the Census-Taker Problem[1]) is a logical puzzle in number theory which on first inspection seems to have insufficient information to solve. However, with closer examination and persistence by the solver, the question reveals its hidden mathematical clues, especially when the solver ...
For instance, the first counterexample must be odd because f(2n) = n, smaller than 2n; and it must be 3 mod 4 because f 2 (4n + 1) = 3n + 1, smaller than 4n + 1. For each starting value a which is not a counterexample to the Collatz conjecture, there is a k for which such an inequality holds, so checking the Collatz conjecture for one starting ...
Four fours. Four fours is a mathematical puzzle, the goal of which is to find the simplest mathematical expression for every whole number from 0 to some maximum, using only common mathematical symbols and the digit four. No other digit is allowed. Most versions of the puzzle require that each expression have exactly four fours, but some ...
In mathematics, the Fibonacci sequence is a sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. Numbers that are part of the Fibonacci sequence are known as Fibonacci numbers, commonly denoted Fn . Many writers begin the sequence with 0 and 1, although some authors start it from 1 and 1 [1][2] and some (as did Fibonacci) from 1 ...
Multiplication table. In mathematics, a multiplication table (sometimes, less formally, a times table) is a mathematical table used to define a multiplication operation for an algebraic system. The decimal multiplication table was traditionally taught as an essential part of elementary arithmetic around the world, as it lays the foundation for ...
A Pythagorean triple consists of three positive integers a, b, and c, such that a2 + b2 = c2. Such a triple is commonly written (a, b, c), a well-known example is (3, 4, 5). If (a, b, c) is a Pythagorean triple, then so is (ka, kb, kc) for any positive integer k. A triangle whose side lengths are a Pythagorean triple is a right triangle and ...