The Christmas Investigations: The Crystal Maze Explaination

Christmas Investigations
Part Six

In the third and final of our Christmas investigations I left you pondering the problem of prisoners. In particular how to decide when it is better to release your locked in comrades in the game show The Crystal Maze.

How do you decide whether to release one of your locked-in teammates?

Turning Back The Sands of Time

Time and Space
Part Four

In our continued quest for elegance in solutions to time and space puzzles we revisit the sand timers with a video and more time lines, explaining just how to get the most elegant of solutions.

Breaking the Space Time Continuum

Time and Space
Part Three

We're breaking out the sand timers and the jugs again as we search for increasingly well composed solutions to measuring puzzles. Then we attempt the theoretically impossible when we try to break the space-time continuum, with toast.

A Sandy Situation

Time and Space
Part Two

Today it's a day on the sand - and it's still not all it promises. The second cousin of the jugs problem is all about timing. You are generally presented with sand glasses of known duration, or candles of known burn time, and asked to measure a specific length of time.

A Pair of Jugs

Time and Space
Part One

I'm sorry, but you knew there was going to be smut when you entered into this little student-teacher arrangement and this set of puzzles is too good an opportunity to miss.

Of course I'm speaking not about any part of the female anatomy, but one of the oldest and most varied puzzle sets there is - measuring puzzles. 

Hidden Equations

Algebra
Part Three

So far we have looked at simultaneous equations that were hidden in plain sight, as it were.

Of course most puzzles that rely on equations try and hide the method behind flavour; either in the guise of an elaborate story, where a key piece of information is implied but not stated. Or as a diagram, hiding the maths behind abstract imagery.

Where No Number Can Be Found

Algebra
Part Two

The difficult in algebra puzzles is very rarely found in how difficult the mathematics is, where would the fun be in that. No, the challenge of a simultaneous equation puzzle is in deriving the equations that lead you to the answer.

Today I'm going to arm you with just the skills you need to do that.

The Whole Truth

Riddles
Part Five

If you've ever wondered where I get the ideas for my puzzles this is the post you have been waiting for. A merry jaunt around inspiration leads to a puzzle about holes and wholes.

All X's and Y's

Algebra
Part One

Algebra! There's I've said it, and I'm going to write about it!

Get ready for fun, excitement and interesting puzzles. No i promise you, this is mathematics, but not as you learned it at school.