MATH PUZZLES
What is a puzzle?
A puzzle is a mathematical problem that produces a solution often in the form of rear-
ranging pieces (often geometric) or filling in the blanks (such as a crossword puzzle).
Puzzles do not typically require superior mathematical knowledge, but many origi-
nate from more advanced mathematical or logistical problems. They also include
board games (such as chess) and brain teasers.
What are some types of puzzles?
There are numerous categories of puzzles. The following lists the most common:
- Puzzles derived from board games include chess-type problems (chess and eight
queens puzzle) - Logic puzzles (paint by numbers)
- Mechanical puzzles (Rubik’s Cube)
- Computer puzzle games
- Cube games
- Solitaire-type puzzles
- Brain teasers
- Riddles
- Tiling puzzles (including jigsaw, polysquare, and Tangram puzzles)
- Whodunits
- Word puzzles (anagrams, cracking a code, crossword puzzles, find-the-word
puzzles, and verbal arithmetic puzzles 421
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