Problems

a) In the construction in the figure, move two matches so that there are five identical squares created. b) From the new figure, remove 3 matches so that only 3 squares remain.

How many squares are shown in the picture?

Gerard says: the day before yesterday I was 10 years old, and next year I will turn 13. Can this be?

We call a natural number “amazing” if it has the form \(a^b + b^a\) (where \(a\) and \(b\) are natural numbers). For example, the number 57 is amazing, since \(57 = 2^5 + 5^2\). Is the number 2006 amazing?

Homework. Cut a hole in an exercise book of a size so that you yourself can climb through it.

a) In how many ways can Dima paint five Christmas trees in silver, green and blue colours, if the amount of paint is unlimited, and he paints each tree in only one colour?

b) Dima has five baubles: a red, a green, a yellow, a blue and a gold one. In how many ways can he decorate five Christmas trees with them, if he needs to put exactly one bauble on each tree?

c) What about if he can hang several baubles on one Christmas tree (and all of the baubles have to be used)?

A toddler has \(25\) lego pieces in a box:

• In how many ways are there to choose three pieces to play with?

• In how many ways can he choose three pieces for the foundation, main walls and roof? Note that the order is important.

Doctor Smith gave out 2006 miracle tablets to four sick animals. The rhinoceros received one more tablet than the crocodile. The hippopotamus got one more tablet than the rhino. The elephant got one more tablet than the hippo. How many tablets did the elephant have to eat?

Cut the shape (see the figure) into two identical pieces (coinciding when placed on top of one another).

Gabby is standing on a river bank. She has two clay jars: one – for 5 litres, and about the second Gabby remembers only that it holds either 3 or 4 litres. Help Gabby determine the capacity of the second jar. (Looking into the jar, you cannot figure out how much water is in it.)