Find the average distance between 2 points on a square This is another excellent mathematical puzzle from the MindYourDecisions youtube channel. I like to try these without looking at the answer – and then to see how far I get. This one is pretty difficult (and the actual solution exceptionally difficult!) The problem is to […]
Generating e through probability and hypercubes This is a really beautiful solution to an interesting probability problem posed by fellow IB teacher Daniel Hwang, for which I’ve outlined a method for solving suggested by Ferenc Beleznay. The problem is as follows: On average, how many random real numbers from 0 to 1 (inclusive) are required […]
Have you got a Super Brain? Adapting and exploring maths challenge problems is an excellent way of finding ideas for IB maths explorations and extended essays. This problem is taken from the book: The first 25 years of the Superbrain challenges. I’m going to see how many different ways I can solve it. The problem […]
You can download all 17 of the Paper 3 questions for free here: [PDF]. The full typed mark scheme is available to download at the bottom of the page. Seventeen IB Higher Level Paper 3 Practice Questions With the new syllabus just started for IB Mathematics we currently don’t have many practice papers to properly […]
3D Printing with Desmos: Stewie Griffin Using Desmos or Geogebra to design a picture or pattern is quite a nice exploration topic – but here’s an idea to make your investigation stand out from the crowd – how about converting your image to a 3D printed design? Step 1 Create an image on Desmos or […]
Complex Numbers as Matrices – Euler’s Identity Euler’s Identity below is regarded as one of the most beautiful equations in mathematics as it combines five of the most important constants in mathematics: I’m going to explore whether we can still see this relationship hold when we represent complex numbers as matrices. Complex Numbers as Matrices […]