A programme called ‘Education through Music’ at a school in New York, is using a unique method for students to become better at mathematics. It involves music, not something most people associate with numbers. Fourth graders at PS 69 school are using music to sharpen their number skills.

“Subtracting and adding the musical notes, I feel like I’m doing math, except with the music notes,” said Elias Delgado, a student. A rhythm exercise helps students learn about counting and sequencing, which, in turn, helps them solve mathematics problems. “The problems are just the same thing as the rhythm of the notes, so they’re kind of the same,” said Brianna Flores, another student. At PS 69, mathematics scores are up sharply since the school began working with ‘Education through Music’.

PUZZLE 1: A long, metal slide resembling a sliding board has been constructed with three holes spaced out along the length of the slide. Coins are placed at the top of the slide and released one after another. For each coin that approaches the first hole, there are 50 per cent chances that it will fall through the hole. If it makes it past the first hole, the chances are 50 per cent that it will fall through the second hole. The third hole has the same chances.

How many coins need to be released so that chances are that one coin will make it all the way down the slide?

PUZZLE 2: A solo dice game is played thus: on each turn, a normal pair of dice is rolled. The score is calculated by taking the product, rather than the sum, of the two numbers shown on the dice. In a particular game, the score for the second roll is five more than the score for the first; the score for the third roll is six less than that of the second; the score for the fourth roll is 11 more than that of the third; and the score for the fifth roll is eight less than that of the fourth. What was the score for each of these five throws?

Solutions on November 20

CORRECT ENTRIES

October 23

Arunabha Sengupta, TCS, Poland; Sunil Mehta, Howrah; Ajoy Chattopadhyay, Calcutta- 19; Somesh Shukla, Bichannagar; Harpreet Kaur, Jamshedpur; Amit Khare; Avik Banerjee, Sodepur; Koel Chattopadhyay, Durgapur; Anil Banerjee, Salkia; Jaya Khemchandani, Calcutta-107; Soumya Bit, Howrah; Shomshukla Banerjee, Agarpara; Anil Deb; Amitava Roy, Salt Lake; Smita Deb; Calcutta- 85; Monojit Banerjee, Calcutta- 40; Tripti Roy, Calcutta- 85;

Sita Nair, Calcutta- 96; Amit Dholakia,

Burdawan; Phalguni Moitra, Guwahati

Please send in your entries to knowhow@abpmail.com, within 10 days of publication. Don’t forget to mention the date of publication of the puzzle in the subject of your mail. For snail mail the address is KnowHow, The Telegraph, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta- 700 001. Don’t send your entries in multiple numbers.

PUZZLE CRACKED

The response this week was overwhelming. Hope you people are finding the puzzles interesting. The active participation by new brainstormers comes as a pleasant surprise. The solution sent by brainstormer Arunabha Sengupta is provided below.

Solution : The natives were playing Numberskulls (a number game) with five players and a moderator. As per the clues provided, the numbers painted on the skulls of the individual participants belonging to the different clans are as follows:

A (Bright) = 631 (Prime)

B (Brave) = 136 (Triangular)

C (Brave) = 233 (Prime)

D (Brave) = 361 (Square)

E (Brave) = 343 (Cube)

A is the winner, the only Bright in the game.