How to Select Math Brain Teasers
Math brain teasers are challenging and fun, but they also help to promote higher creativity, left brain function, problem solving skills and logical reasoning. Recent studies have found regular brain "exercise" may be as beneficial for the mind as physical exercise is for the body. Some of the most popular math teasers include math mazes, cross sums, sum logic, geometric figures and Sudoku and Japanese Sudoku hybrid puzzles. Select math teasers and take them with you to work or on your morning commute to keep your brain active throughout the day.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Select Math Brain Teasers
-
1
Determine the field of math you're most interested in. Select puzzles that test your skills in fields such as calculus, geometry, statistics and trigonometry.
-
2
Find an educational online math forum like the one offered by Drexel University, which offers formulas for grade school, high school and college level math equations and teasers. Share secrets with other math and statistics puzzlers on forums or post comments requesting suggestions for brain teaser books and Web sites.
-
-
3
Select a Web site like Braingle that offers hundreds of math puzzles and ranks them according to the level of difficulty. Make sure the website offers solution hints and a link to the answers.
-
4
Start off with one of the most popular math brain teasers available today, the Sudoku puzzle. Find a puzzle in your daily newspaper or online.
-
5
Take your math skills to the next level by participating in one of the competitions from the Mathematical Association of America.
-
6
Hone grade school math skills by practicing runaway math puzzles. Keep in mind the more difficult puzzles are often missing the equations.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Cross sums are crossword puzzles with number clues instead of word clues.
In most major newspapers, you'll find the most challenging Sudoku puzzles in the Friday or Sunday editions.
The key to mastering logic puzzles is to pay careful attention to details and use a grid to chart the clues.
Some math puzzles require a working knowledge of number theory, integers, statistics, polygons and geometric shapes, logic and algebra. You may want to brush up on these subjects before you buy a specialty math teaser book.
