Puzzles Galore: Can You Crack Them?
Math enthusiasts, rejoice! Today's puzzling slices are all about geometry, courtesy of the renowned UK mathematician, Ian Stewart. With three challenging puzzles to sink your teeth into, can you prove yourself a cut above the rest?
First up, we have Bonnie Tiler – a square grid with three missing corner cells, accompanied by a tile made of three cells in a line. The question is: how many tiles will cover 33 cells without leaving any gaps? Ian Stewart's puzzle promises to put your spatial reasoning skills to the test.
Next, we're presented with Assembly Needed. A seemingly simple shape can be cut into four identical pieces using just black lines – but here's the twist: it needs to be reassembled into a perfect square. The question is: can you find an alternative way to dissect the left-hand shape that still yields a cohesive square?
Last but not least, we have Pizza Party – a pizza-cutting puzzle where five people are divided among three pizzas in different ways. But here's the catch: each person must receive the same number and size of slices. The question is: what's the minimum number of pieces required to achieve this delightful distribution?
Ian Stewart's expertise shines through once again with his engaging, yet mathematically stimulating puzzles that cater to enthusiasts of all skill levels. With Reaching for the Extreme now available in bookstores, be sure to pre-order your copy today!
Leave your puzzle-solving prowess on display and take part by sharing your favourite examples of extremes – from biggest to shortest, and everything in between.
Math enthusiasts, rejoice! Today's puzzling slices are all about geometry, courtesy of the renowned UK mathematician, Ian Stewart. With three challenging puzzles to sink your teeth into, can you prove yourself a cut above the rest?
First up, we have Bonnie Tiler – a square grid with three missing corner cells, accompanied by a tile made of three cells in a line. The question is: how many tiles will cover 33 cells without leaving any gaps? Ian Stewart's puzzle promises to put your spatial reasoning skills to the test.
Next, we're presented with Assembly Needed. A seemingly simple shape can be cut into four identical pieces using just black lines – but here's the twist: it needs to be reassembled into a perfect square. The question is: can you find an alternative way to dissect the left-hand shape that still yields a cohesive square?
Last but not least, we have Pizza Party – a pizza-cutting puzzle where five people are divided among three pizzas in different ways. But here's the catch: each person must receive the same number and size of slices. The question is: what's the minimum number of pieces required to achieve this delightful distribution?
Ian Stewart's expertise shines through once again with his engaging, yet mathematically stimulating puzzles that cater to enthusiasts of all skill levels. With Reaching for the Extreme now available in bookstores, be sure to pre-order your copy today!
Leave your puzzle-solving prowess on display and take part by sharing your favourite examples of extremes – from biggest to shortest, and everything in between.
, I'm loving these puzzles!!! 
The first one Bonnie Tiler is giving me some serious spatial reasoning pain 
... just kidding! But seriously, did you know that a 3x3 grid has 9 tiles? 
And if we're talking about the math behind it, Ian Stewart's work on tessellations is SO cool 
. I mean, have you seen the Fibonacci sequence in action? 
It's like nature's own puzzle! 
. Anyone else stumped by this one? 
... just saying! 
The minimum number of pieces required is giving me some major algorithm vibes 
.
. Anyone have any favorite extreme examples? 
i mean who doesn't love a good challenge? 
for me its all about spatial reasoning & visualising shapes... its like trying to solve a 3d problem on paper 
and i think thats what makes it so satisfying when u finally figure out the solution 
. the puzzles from Ian Stewart sound super cool tho! 
I've been going over the Bonnie Tiler puzzle in my head, and I'm convinced there's more to it than meets the eye. What if it's not just about covering 33 cells with tiles? What if it's about... I don't know, unlocking a hidden pattern or something? 
The Assembly Needed one has me stumped too – what's with the black lines and the perfect square? It feels like there's more to the solution than we're being told. And don't even get me started on Pizza Party 
these puzzles are like wow what a brain teaser lol i love how it's not just about the math but also about spatial reasoning too 
i wish i was good at these things lol who else loves math puzzles? share ur fave ones! 
Pizza Party seems like a no-brainer at first but then you realize the complexity of distribution. Can't wait to try solving them and share my own examples! 
and those Assembly Needed and Pizza Party puzzles tho... mind blown 
gotta love how some people make problems sound like a party 
anyways, who needs pizza when you can have a decent puzzle