Students were busy on Day 18 of BEAM Discovery Uptown. After breakfast, some students started the day in the class Playing with Logic, where they explored the Shuttle Puzzle by becoming the puzzle pieces. (Classes at BEAM are unlike anything most students see at school. Other classes this week include Math for Pirates and Learning from The Number Devil.)
During Open Math Time, when students get to choose what math they work on, some students completed problem sets from their classes. Students are often encouraged to work together to find the answers.
In Applied Math, students talked about game strategies and how to win at games, like Nim. They asked the question, “Can strategies help you win even at a game like Rock, Paper, Scissors, that seems all about luck?” Yes, they decided, by doing things like looking for patterns in your opponent’s play. To test their theories, they squared off in a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament!
Students checked out the 100 Problem Challenge. As of today, only one problem remains! If the students solve all 100, they win a special prize.
A group of students discussed Problem 74 with Xavier, a veteran faculty member.
Are you up to the challenge? Here’s Problem 74:
In Problem 53, you found a way to link three rings so that if you cut just one of the three rings, the other two would come apart.
In this problem, your goal is to do the same thing but with four rings. Together, all four should be linked. But cut any one of the four rings, and the other three should come apart. (Hint: try using pipe cleaners, like the students above, to help visualize the problem.)