Fun Math Games

Math fun games

2008-04-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

I found this funny video. Ok maybe you're watching this video and it looks rather boring. But it's then end that matters :-)

watch it here

Fun math game shooter

2008-04-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

When I talked about fun math games before I was mainly talking about math riddles. But there exist a whole range of other math games that are challenging and fun and may appeal to a different audience.

Today I stumbled upon one such game. The game is called 2³ (or twho three). In it you'll have to shoot numbers. It starts easy but gets really hard after a certain level (this will be different for everyone). Check it out here.

a fishy logic puzzle

2008-03-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

Let's start by telling the solution to the fun math games post.

The solution lies in the misleading questioning. When you think about it, there's no dollar gone. The friends had paid 3 times $9 which is $27. The waiter had kept $2 as a tip. But $27 - $2 = $25, which is what the brothers had to pay. They gave $30 and got $5 back (leaving $2 for the waiter).

Let's try another one that will get even math haters thinking for a while. This one's a logic puzzle.

One day two fathers and their sons go fishing. Great day, lots of fun, and at the end of the day they each take one fish home. When they returned home, they showed 3 fish. How can this be (assuming no fish was eaten or hidden)?

This one isn't that hard. I'm sure you'll find it :-)

Fun Math Games

2008-03-05T06:11:00.001-08:00

There's a wealth of fun math games. But before I present you with a real fun one, let's clear some thing up.

I know a lot of people who don't like math. Actually most can't be bothered with a math problem at all. Others find solving math problems a lot of fun. While others play football or watch television, they prefer to challenge their brains with geometric riddles or algebraic equations. Maybe you've come here and find that boring too.

But of all those people who don't like math, I've seen almost all of them present or solve some math problem sometime. Clearly, there ARE math games that are fun for everyone. So what makes some real fun for everyone?

I think the answer lies in the combination of 3 factors.

First, the math involved should be math at its simplest level. Everyone can do a simple multiplication, draw a square or count to 10. On the other hand, while many of us know how to calculate the contents of a cube, a majority will find these kind of problems of too much trouble to bother with. So a first requirement is that the math must be very simple.

As a second requirement, the problem must be realistic. That doesn't mean it must be a problem that actually picks a situtation that has happened. Rather it must be a situation most people can easily imagine happening. Three brothers having to divide 20 cows between them is something everyone can imagine. Three cubes using 20 lines is a situation that can be interesting for people who like math, but not for the majority of people.

Third, the solution or problem situation must be either really unexpected, creative or surprising. People will laugh with how they failed to see it, because how crazy the solution is, or because the problem situation is weird. This fun factor is only possible when the two factors above are present.

I'll present you with a fun math game that I have seen to capture the attention of people who otherwise can't be botherd with math. Notice how it has the combination of the 3 factors mentioned above.

Three friends are eating together and now need to pay the bill, $25. When the waiter comes each pays $10. The waiter would like to give $5 back but notices he can't split $5 between the 3 friends. So he decides to give each $1 and to keep $2 as a tip.

Note that they all paid $10 and got $1 back. So $10-1 is $9. Three times $9 is $27. If together they paid $27 but the waiter kept only $2 of the $30 they gave (total of $29), where did the one dollar go?

Have fun trying to solve this one and telling it to others. I'll give the solution next time :-)