RECREATIONAL

MATHEMATICS
RECREATIONAL
MATHEMATICS
RECREATIONAL MATHEMATICS consists of
games, tricks, or puzzles that are most of the time
designed for entertainment, pleasure, amusement, or fun.
Though its main purpose is for recreation, it cannot be
denied that the amount of mathematical content,
understanding, and procedure also requires some sort of
rigor analysis and high degree of patience.
RECREATIONAL
MATHEMATICS
PROBLEM 1: There are three boxes that contain books.
One is labelled math only; another is labelled science
only. The last box is math and science. However, each
box is labelled incorrectly. If you are to pick only one
box, how will you determine the correct label for each?
RECREATIONAL
MATHEMATICS
SOLUTION
METHOD: Logical Analysis or deductive reasoning
Open the box that is labelled math and science. Since it is
incorrectly labelled, then it must contain either math book or
science book. Without loss of generality, assume that this
contains math book; therefore it must be labelled math only.
Then, the box labelled math only contains science book, and the
box labelled science only contains both math and science
books.
RECREATIONAL
MATHEMATICS
PROBLEM 2: You have a 3- and 5 – liter water
container, each container has no markings except for that
which gives you its total volume. You also have a running
tap water. You must use the containers and the tap water
in such a way as to exactly measure out 4 liters of water.
How is this done?
RECREATIONAL
MATHEMATICS
SOLUTION
METHOD: Logical Analysis
STEP 1: Fill the 3-liter container with water and pour
the contents to the 5-liter container. Do this until the five-
liter container is full. The 3-liter container now contains 1
liter water.
RECREATIONAL
MATHEMATICS
STEP 2: Empty the five-liter container and pour the
content (1 liter of water ) of the 3-liter container. You
have 1 liter of water in the 5-liter container.
STEP 3: Fill the 3-liter container with water and pour
the contents to the 5-liter container. You now have 4 liters
of water.
(For more examples, open pp. 93 – 94 of your
Mathematics in the Modern World book)
CRYPTOGRAMS
A CRYPTOGRAM is a mathematical puzzle where
symbols are used to represent digits for a system that is
true. Logical deductions and a series of tests are needed to
solve such problem. It may have unique or multiple
solutions.
CRYPTOGRAMS
 EXAMPLE: Find the value of A if:

SOLUTION: Using the concept of expansion of

numbers, then the addend may be expressed as follows,
CRYPTOGRAMS
 

The sum of the units digits, 1 + A = 8 implies A = 7.

CRYPTOGRAMS
EXAMPLE: Find the value of A and B if A8B × 9 =
A06B:
SOLUTION: Multiplication by 9 can also be
accomplished by using the multiplier (10 – 1). Then,
A8B × 9 = A8B (10 – 1) = A8B0 – A8B = A06B
Using the concept of expansion numbers, the minuend
and the subtrahend may be expressed as follows.
CRYPTOGRAMS
 

After the usual borrowing, this implies that 10 – B = B

or B = 5 and in turn A = 7.
PALINDROMES
A PALINDROME is a word that is spelled the same
forward and backward. Some examples of palindromes
are noon, dad, wow, and radar. Numbers can be
palindromes, too. Some examples are 22, 151, and
7,337.You can use addition to make your own number
palindromes.
PALINDROMES
EXAMPLES: Change 42 into a palindromic number.
Reverse the digits (write the number backward) then
add. 42 + 24 = 66

Change 534 into a palindromic number.

Reverse the digits (write the number backward) then
add. 534 + 435 = 969
PALINDROMES
Sometimes you have to reverse the digits and add more
than once to make a number a palindrome.
Change 261 into a palindromic number.
Reverse the digits then add: 261+162 = 423
Reverse the digits in the sum then add again:
423 + 324 = 747