Mind Boggling Math Puzzles: Millennium Prize Problems
Quicker Maths offers regular tips and tricks for zooming through some arithmetic problems, as well as giving us fascinating puzzles that offer some solid food for mathematical thought. But what if you were given the opportunity to earn one million dollars to solve one math problem? That's exactly the deal that the Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge Massachusetts has offered. And pretty much anyone can enter to win.
The Millennium Problems, as they are known, were originally seven math problems that had existed for several years and remained unsolved. Most recently, one problem--the Poincare Conjecture--was successfully solved by Dr. Grigory Perelman of St. Petersburg, Russia. Perelman worked on and solved the problem in 2002 and 2003, and was thereafter awarded the CMI one million dollar prize in 2010, although he ended up turning down the prize money.
Popularity: 4%
Average Number of Arms
Try out this probability question. It may seem very simple but think twice before giving the answer
What is the probability that the next person you meet has an above average number of arms?
- Impossible
- Unlikely
- Likely
- Very Likely
- Certain
Leave your answers below as comment -
Popularity: 15%
Quicker Maths by M Tyra
Today, let me confess something to all of you. I am sure this will help all the readers.
So here I go. This is regarding the name of the website - QuickerMaths.com. It is inspired by the name of the best mathematics books I have ever come across. This book helped me a lot in clearing CAT and reaching to IIM. The inspiration of creating an interactive platform (QuickerMaths.com) came from this book. As a token of appreciation and to do my bit today I will tell you about this book named -
Magical Book on Quicker Maths
Author: M. Tyra
About the book: The book will be a boon for the aspirants of today’s competitive exams irrespective of their background – whether they come from arts, science or commerce stream. Concepts have been clarified so well, that even if one is vaguely familiar with them as in the case of non-mathematics students, understanding will not be a problem. Direct formulae are beneficial for one and all. They save time and time is precious for everyone.
Must for Competitive Preparation
The book is profusely illustrated. Avoiding the temptation for haste and ending up with a cookbook, the author has put in two years of intensive effort and research. Ideas have been taken from available study material, number theory, readers’ suggestions and, finally Vedic mathematics.
Recently I purchased the latest edition of this book from an online book store Flipkart.com
Purchase Online - The list Price is Rs. 250; you get a Discount of 25% (Rs. 62) on Flipkart.com.
So you get it for: Rs. 188 (incl. of all taxes)
Those who have already read this book please give your feedback to help others
Author: Vineet Patawari
Popularity: 28%
Interesting Logical Puzzle
This one's an interesting puzzle and DOES NOT involve any MECHANICS!
There's a Bridge 2.4 km long with a load handling capacity of exactly 1 tonne and is bound to collapse if load increases by even a single gram than a tonne.
A bus, loaded fully with passengers, of weight exactly a tonne is crossing over the bridge. At exactly 3/4th of the length of the bridge a Crow comes (out of the Blue) and sits on top of the Bus.
But to everyone's surprise, the Bridge doesn't collapse and the bus crosses it safely.
Why?
Leave your answers below -
Popularity: 33%
Is two equals one?
Is 2 = 1?
Today, I will prove that two is equal to one (2 = 1). I will do that in more than one way. You know what you have to do? You have to point out the fallacy in the proofs.
The Fallacious Proof - 1:
Let, a = x
a+a = a+x [add a to both sides]
2a = a+x [a+a = 2a]
2a-2x = a+x-2x [subtract 2x from both sides]
2(a-x) = a+x-2x [2a-2x = 2(a-x)]
2(a-x) = a-x [x-2x = -x]
Popularity: 32%
Quick method to evaluate polynomials – Horner’s method
This is a guest post by Nandeesh H.N. of Kolkata
How to find the value of a Polynomial Function?
Horner's method is commonly used to find the roots of a polynomial function. However it can also be used to evaluate the polynomial function for a given value of x.
Suppose, we want to evaluate the polynomial
p(x) = 4x^5 - 3x^4 + 7x^3 + 6x^2 + 3x + 9 at x = 2.41.
The usual method of evaluation is to evaluate each product (such as 4*2.41^5 or 7*2.41^3) separately and then add. The drawback is that to evaluate any power of x, we go through all of the previous powers.
A slightly better method is to make a table of powers of 2.41 and put them in the given polynomial.
Popularity: 40%
Take the Link Challenge – Win a Book
Take the Link Challenge
Today I thought it might be fun to do a bit of a fun challenge.
The challenge is very simple – You have to find the websites, blogs, web pages, etc. linking to QuickerMaths.com (QM) or any of its post.
As your answers you have to just paste the URL (link) of the website or blog where you have seen QM link.
Rules:
- The link might be a blogroll link like the one in the image below on fireup blog
2. Link within the text referring to QM. That could be because someone copied any post from QM and pasted it elsewhere.
The figure below shows an example of this on forum of www.caclubindia.com
- The link can be on a social networking site like facebook, orkut, etc. posted by you or someone else.
- The link could be a simple mention of the link - http://www.quickermaths.com or www.quickermaths.com or quickermaths.com
(But it should be a link and not simple text)
*You can even give the link of websites or blogs where you yourself have give QM’s link. When you posted the link doesn’t matter.
**Links present on QuickerMaths.com website will not be considered.
I assure you it will be a fun filled experience and your “googling” skills will improve a lot.
The winner will get the most amazing book on Vedic Mathematics by the father of Vedic Maths - Bharati Krsna Tirthaji Maharaja
Vedic Maths book
To know more about the book – visit http://vedicmathsindia.org/view_detail1.htm
While giving your responses as comment below –
- Mention your full name in name space
- Mention your email address in email space
- Mention http://www.quickermaths.com in the website space
I will collect the address after announcing the winner to send the prize.
Popularity: 34%
Interesting Puzzle
Time to solve a very interesting and logical puzzle
I have picked up this puzzle from IBM monthly challenge. I will give the exact link of the site later (for those who are interested)
Background: It's Thanksgiving, and time to stuff the turkey. But we've got a problem. The stuffing came in a cube measuring 12cm on a side. The hole in the turkey, however, will accommodate a rectangular block measuring 8cm by 8cm by 27cm. Due to time constraints (we can't miss the parade on TV) we only want to cut the stuffing into four pieces.
The question:
How can we cut the 12cm cube into four pieces which will reassemble into an 8cm by 8cm by 27cm block?
Friends, leave your answer below -
If you have any puzzle, riddle, brainteaser, etc. you think we might enjoy, please send them in. All mails should be sent to: vineetpatawari@gmail.com
Popularity: 34%
Competitive Examination Question
Quantitative Aptitude Question for Competitive Examinations
Try solving this questions which has appeared in CAT, GRE and GMAT papers and many other competitive examinations. So try your hands at this question from topic speed and distance. You can expect similar questions in competitive examinations.
Here is the Competitive Examination Question -
A thief escaped from police custody. Since he was a sprinter, he could run at a speed of 40 km/hr. The police realized it after 3 hr and started chasing him in the same direction at 50km/hr. The police had a dog, which could run at 60 km/hr. The dog would run to the thief and then return back to the police and then would turn back towards the thief. It kept on doing so till the police caught the thief. Find the total distance traveled by the dog in the direction of the thief?
Here are the options -
a) 720 km
b) 600 km
c) 660 km
d) 360 km
e) 230 km
I will provide the solution later. I urge everyone to try this. Please give explanation with your answers -
Popularity: 44%
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