We are thrilled to continue the Problem Of The Month series, hosted by the Mathematics Department at Boise State University!
How Does it work? Each month we'll present a new problem. The following month we'll present a solution or solutions, and through it we'll learn more about mathematical fields, and how math is being used in our world today!
Who's it for? YOU! The problems and articles are for anyone interested. Whether you're in school (any grade!), college, or you just enjoy thinking about cool problems and learning interesting things - The Problem Of The Month is for YOU!
How do I participate? Have fun thinking about the problems and trying to solve them! If you'd like, you can send your solutions to mathoutreach@boisestate.edu for the possibility to have your solution mentioned and win some prizes!
Are there any prizes? Yes! We ask school students submitting solutions to write down the name of their school, their grade and the name of their math teacher. We will celebrate unique and creative solutions at the end of the month and and those solutions will win their senders some cool prizes.
Is there a mailing list? Yes! Scroll this page all the way down in order to join and stay informed. All are welcome to join the list and receive the problems and articles directly - students, teachers, parents, grandparents and anyone else!
Who's behind the scenes? This series is now continued by its third contributor, Josie Derrick. Hi! I joined the Mathematics Department at Boise State in December 2024, and am continuing the Problem Of The Month series. I hope that thinking about our problems will stimulate your imagination, and will be fun and interesting!
This month, we are going to do some ancient mathematics with connections to one of my favorite Thanksgiving* activities: sharing baked goods!
In Ancient Egypt, they had a unique way of working with fractions. Click here to read more about their techniques and this month's problem.
In October, we asked: What is the ratio of the area of the logo to the area of the box?
Click here to read about approaches to solving this problem, including weight, pencil lead usage, grids, and technology.
Want more? Click here to view the archive of problems from this year!
Do you want to get updates when new problems and solutions are posted? All are welcome to join the list and receive the problems and articles directly - students, teachers, parents, grandparents and anyone else!