End of Year Bonus Challenges

The Main Challenge

You are playing Roll3Dice and have just rolled 2, 5 and 6 with your three dice.

Using these three numbers once each, with + – × ÷ available, it is possible to make SEVEN target numbers in the range 1-10, as indicated below.

Can you place 2, 5 and 6 into the gaps on each line so that all seven calculations work out?

•   ◯+◯–◯  =  1
•   ◯–◯÷◯  =  2
•   ◯+◯–◯  =  3
•   ◯×◯–◯  =  4
•   ◯×◯–◯  =  7
•   ◯+◯÷◯  =  8
•   ◯+◯–◯  =  9

For full details, click Roll3Dice or the hashtag #Roll3Dice.

The 7puzzle Challenge

The playing board of the 7puzzle game is a 7-by-7 grid containing 49 different numbers, ranging from 2 up to 84.

The Bottom-Left to Top-Right diagonal contains the following seven numbers:

3     9     25     27     33     64     81

Another 2-part challenge for the final day of the year:

Part 1: How many of the listed numbers are neither square numbers nor cube numbers?

Part 2: Use these seven numbers exactly once each, with + – × ÷ available to use in your calculation, to arrive at our favourite target number of 7.

Can you arrive at 366 by inserting 1, 3, 3, 6 and 6 into the gaps below?

•  (◯²+(◯–◯)²)×(◯²–◯) = 366

Answers can be found here.

Click Paul Godding for details of online maths tuition.