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Puzzles
Insights puzzle
Think of a Number. How Do Math Magicians Know What It Is?
Mathematical magic can seem like mind reading. Your job is to reveal the secret behind these four tricks.
Insights puzzle
The Secrets of Zugzwang in Chess, Math and Pizzas
Learn the magic and math of how to win games when your opponent goes first.
Insights puzzle
Play First and Lose: Zugzwang in Chess, Math and Pizzas
How to win games by going second and leaving your opponent with no good options.
Insights puzzle
Why e, the Transcendental Math Constant, Is Just the Best
The solution to our puzzle about Euler’s number explains why e pops up in situations that involve optimality.
Insights puzzle
Where Transcendental Numbers Hide in Everyday Math
The transcendental number π is as familiar as it is ubiquitous, but how does Euler’s number e transcend the ordinary?
Insights puzzle
Math Can, in Theory, Help You Escape a Hungry Bear
How readers used their geometry skills to survive a dangerous puzzle.
Insights puzzle
Can Math Help You Escape a Hungry Bear?
In this month’s puzzle, math is a question of life or death.
Insights puzzle
How a Simple Arithmetic Puzzle Can Guide Discovery
Playing with numbers can lead to deep mathematical and scientific insights.
Insights puzzle
The Puzzling Power of Simple Arithmetic
Playing with arithmetic can lead us to unexpected and profound discoveries that point toward deeper mathematics and sometimes even deeper science.