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  • Early Years Foundation Stage

Integrated Product Sudoku

Age 11 to 16
Challenge Level Yellow star
  • Problem
  • Getting Started
  • Student Solutions

by Henry Kwok

Sudoku Puzzle

Rules of Integrated Product Sudoku

Like the standard sudoku, this sudoku variant has two basic rules:
  1. Each column, each row and each box (3$\times$3 subgrid) must have the numbers 1 to 9.
  2. No column, row or box can have two squares with the same number.
The puzzle can be solved with the help of small clue-numbers which are either placed on the border lines between selected pairs of neighbouring squares of the grid or placed after slash marks on the intersections of border lines between two diagonally adjacent squares.

Each small clue-number is the product of two digits in the two squares that are horizontally or vertically or diagonally adjacent to each other. The position of each pair of diagonally adjacent squares is indicated by either two forward slash marks // or two backward slash marks \\.

For example:
  • the //36 on intersection of border lines between the diagonally adjacent squares (6, 8) and (7, 7) means that possible pairs of numbers in the squares are: 4 and 9 or 9 and 4 or 6 and 6.
  • the \\6 on intersection of border lines between the diagonally adjacent squares (6, 6) and (7, 7) means that possible pairs of numbers in the squares are: 1 and 6, 6 and 1; 2 and 3, or 3 and 2.
  • finally, the clue-number 8 on the border line betweeen the squares (9, 1) and (9, 2) means that possible pairs of numbers for these squares can be from the following combinations: 1 and 8, 8 and 1; 2 and 4, or 4 and 2.


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Adding All Nine

Make a set of numbers that use all the digits from 1 to 9, once and once only. Add them up. The result is divisible by 9. Add each of the digits in the new number. What is their sum? Now try some other possibilities for yourself!

Double Digit

Choose two digits and arrange them to make two double-digit numbers. Now add your double-digit numbers. Now add your single digit numbers. Divide your double-digit answer by your single-digit answer. Try lots of examples. What happens? Can you explain it?

More Mods

What is the units digit for the number 123^(456) ?

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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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