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Advanced mathematics

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For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

Probability - Advanced

Why Do People Find Probability Unintuitive and Difficult?

Age 7 to 18

Uncertain about the likelihood of unexpected events? You are not alone!

The Derren Brown Coin Flipping Scam

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star

Calculate probabilities associated with the Derren Brown coin scam in which he flipped 10 heads in a row.

Dicey Decisions

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow star

Can you devise a fair scoring system when dice land edge-up or corner-up?

Knock-out

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

Before a knockout tournament with 2^n players I pick two players. What is the probability that they have to play against each other at some point in the tournament?

Snooker

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow star

A player has probability 0.4 of winning a single game. What is his probability of winning a 'best of 15 games' tournament?

Magic Bag

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star

A weekly challenge concerning combinatorical probability.

Snooker Frames

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow star

It is believed that weaker snooker players have a better chance of winning matches over eleven frames (i.e. first to win 6 frames) than they do over fifteen frames. Is this true?

Teams

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow star

Two brothers belong to a club with 10 members. Four are selected for a match. Find the probability that both brothers are selected.

Bet You a Million

Age 14 to 16
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star

Heads or Tails - the prize doubles until you win it. How much would you pay to play?

Voting Paradox

Age 14 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

Some relationships are transitive, such as `if A>B and B>C then it follows that A>C', but some are not. In a voting system, if A beats B and B beats C should we expect A to beat C?

FA Cup

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow starYellow star

In four years 2001 to 2004 Arsenal have been drawn against Chelsea in the FA cup and have beaten Chelsea every time. What was the probability of this? Lots of fractions in the calculations!

Spinners

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

How do scores on dice and factors of polynomials relate to each other?

Taking Chances Extended

Age 14 to 18

This article, for students and teachers, is mainly about probability, the mathematical way of looking at random chance.

Succession in Randomia

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow star

By tossing a coin one of three princes is chosen to be the next King of Randomia. Does each prince have an equal chance of taking the throne?

Is Your DNA Unique?

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow star

Use combinatoric probabilities to work out the probability that you are genetically unique!

Ante Up

Age 16 to 18
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

Use cunning to work out a strategy to win this game.

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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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