A London cab may not have solved the ultimate puzzle of 1729, but today's three brain teasers will test your analytical skills and put a smile on your face.
First up is the "square pair" problem - can you find the smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of two squares in more than one way? The answer is simple: it's not just about finding any solution, but identifying the smallest one. The math checks out with 50 being equal to both 1^2 + 7^2 and 5^2 + 5^2.
Next up is a strip tease - or rather, a triangle test. You have five strips of wood measuring 1cm, 2cm, 7cm, 17cm, and 29cm, but you can't arrange three of them into a triangle. Can you add another strip to the mix without letting anyone make a triangle? The options for that seventh strip are limited, with just two potential solutions - lengths 3cm and 4cm.
Last but not least, we have the "sick sixth" problem - finding the sixth product in a set of six multiplications involving four unknown numbers. After some careful analysis, you'll discover that the missing value is actually 2.4 times the sum of two specific products. The math reveals an interesting relationship between these numbers, leading to a unique solution.
Will you be able to solve today's puzzles? They're not as tricky as a London cab navigating those infamous traffic jams!
First up is the "square pair" problem - can you find the smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of two squares in more than one way? The answer is simple: it's not just about finding any solution, but identifying the smallest one. The math checks out with 50 being equal to both 1^2 + 7^2 and 5^2 + 5^2.
Next up is a strip tease - or rather, a triangle test. You have five strips of wood measuring 1cm, 2cm, 7cm, 17cm, and 29cm, but you can't arrange three of them into a triangle. Can you add another strip to the mix without letting anyone make a triangle? The options for that seventh strip are limited, with just two potential solutions - lengths 3cm and 4cm.
Last but not least, we have the "sick sixth" problem - finding the sixth product in a set of six multiplications involving four unknown numbers. After some careful analysis, you'll discover that the missing value is actually 2.4 times the sum of two specific products. The math reveals an interesting relationship between these numbers, leading to a unique solution.
Will you be able to solve today's puzzles? They're not as tricky as a London cab navigating those infamous traffic jams!