Amusing and Challenging Math Problems

CEMC Mathematics Teachers’ Conference
Dinner Time Math

Welcome to Dinner Time Math! We have selected a number of challenging problems for your
mathematical enjoyment. Work with the other guests sitting at your table to find as many
correct answers as possible. The table answering the greatest number of questions correctly
before time runs out (we’ll announce when that is) will receive a prize! Good luck!
1. Three white candles and two black candles can be arranged in a

number of ways in a pentagon shaped candelabra.
If the candles are placed at random, find the probability that the
three white candles will be adjacent.
2. A white circle is inscribed in the larger grey square and the smaller
grey square is inscribed in the circle.
What fraction of the diagram is white?
3. The circles in the diagram are concentric (they have the same centre).
Find the area of the annulus (shaded area).
4. In a particular class, each student has blonde hair or brown eyes; 1/4 of students with
blonde hair have brown eyes and 1/3 of the students with brown eyes have blonde hair.
What fraction of the total class have brown eyes?
5. The Fibonacci sequence is defined by the recurrence relation Fn+2 = Fn+1 + Fn , where
F1 = 1 and F2 = 1.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, . . .
Fn+1
Consider the ratio of adjacent terms, :
Fn
1/1 = 1 2/1 = 2 3/2 = 1.5 5/3 = 1.666 . . . 8/5 = 1.6
13/8 = 1.625 21/13 = 1.615 . . . 34/21 = 1.619 . . . 55/34 = 1.617 . . . 89/55 = 1.618 . . .
Fn+1
As n increases it is well known that the ratio of adjacent terms tends towards
Fn
√
5+1
φ=
2
Fn+2
What does tend towards as n increases?
Fn
6. For all real numbers, |x| is defined as the absolute value of x. For example, |4.2| = 4.2
and | − 7| = 7. Given that x and y are integers, how many different solutions does the
equation |x| + 2|y| = 100 have?
7. Three balls are placed inside a cone such that each ball is in contact
with the edge of the cone and the next ball.
If the radii of the balls are 20, 12, and r respectively, what is the
value of r?
8. It is possible to climb three steps in exactly four different

ways.
How many ways can you climb ten steps?
9. A cube (regular hexahedron) consists of A dodecahedron has 12 faces. How many

6 faces and 12 edges. edges does it have?
10. What is the smallest positive 4 digit number that is a multiple of each of the numbers
1 through 10?
11. Consider the infinite sequence:
1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, . . .
What is the 1000th term?
12. The matchsticks currently form 5 squares. Move two matchsticks so
that there are 7 squares. Every matchstick must be a part of at least
one square, and you may not break matchsticks. Draw the resulting
figure.
13. A confused bank teller transposed the dollars and cents when he cashed a cheque for
Ms. Smith, giving her dollars instead of cents and cents instead of dollars. After buying
a newspaper for 50 cents, Ms Smith noticed that she had left exactly three times as
much as the original cheque. What was the amount of the cheque? (Note: 1 dollar =
100 cents.)
14. A rectangular sheet of paper is folded so that two diagonally opposite corners come
together. If the crease formed is the same length as the longer side of the sheet, what
is the ratio of the longer side of the sheet to the shorter side?
15. A 12 cm by 25 cm by 36 cm cereal box is lying on the floor on one of its 25 cm by 36

cm faces. An ant, located at one of the bottom corners of the box, must crawl along
the outside of the box to reach the opposite bottom corner. What is the length of the
shortest such path?
Note: The ant can walk on any of the five faces of the box, except for the bottom face,
which is flush in contact with the floor. It can crawl along any of the edges. It cannot
crawl under the box.
16. The sum of the reciprocals of two real numbers is −1, and the sum of the cubes of the
two numbers is 4. What are the numbers?
17. In 4ABC:
• Produce a line from B to AC, meeting at D.
• Produce a line from C to AB, meeting at E.
• Let BD and CE meet at X.
• Let 4BXE have area a.
• Let 4BXC have area b.
• Let 4CXD have area c.
Find the area of quadrilateral AEXD in terms of a, b, and c.
18. Find the pentagon without an identical partner.

19. How many right isosceles triangles of any size and orientation can
you find in the shape using the given points as vertices? One triangle
is already shown.
20. In your high school, there are 73 lockers along a wall. One student goes along and opens
every locker. A second student goes along and closes every second locker beginning
with locker number 2. A third student changes the state of every third locker beginning
with locker number 3 (If it’s open, he closes it. If it’s closed, he opens it.) A fourth
student goes along and performs the same action with every fourth locker, and so on,
until 73 students have gone along. How many lockers are open after all 73 students
have passed by?
21. In the diagram, AOB is a quarter circle of radius 10 and P QRO is

a rectangle of perimeter 26. What is the perimeter of the shaded
region?
22. In 4ABC shown, the altitude AD, the angle bi-

sector AF and the median AM divide ∠BAC into
four equal parts. Calculate the angles of the tri-
angle.
1 1 1
23. Positive integers a, b and c satisfy + = .
a2 b 2 c2
What is the sum of all possible values of a ≤ 100 ?
24. A graph is a collection of vertices with pairs of vertices connected by edges. A planar
graph is a graph that CAN be drawn without edges crossing. Such a drawing is called
a planar embedding. In other words, if we are given a graph with edges crossing, it
may still be planar if there is a way to rearrange the points so that no edges cross.
State whether each of the graphs below is PLANAR or NOT PLANAR. If it is planar,
draw a planar embedding of the graph.
1 1 2 1 2 1 2
5 6
8 38 3
5 2
12 7
11 8
6
7 47 4
10 9
4 3 4 3 6 5 6 5
a b c d

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CEMC Mathematics Teachers’ Conference

Dinner Time Math

1. Three white candles and two black candles can be arranged in a

8. It is possible to climb three steps in exactly four different

9. A cube (regular hexahedron) consists of A dodecahedron has 12 faces. How many

15. A 12 cm by 25 cm by 36 cm cereal box is lying on the floor on one of its 25 cm by 36

• Produce a line from B to AC, meeting at D.

• Produce a line from C to AB, meeting at E.

• Let BD and CE meet at X.

• Let 4BXE have area a.

• Let 4BXC have area b.

• Let 4CXD have area c.

Find the area of quadrilateral AEXD in terms of a, b, and c.

18. Find the pentagon without an identical partner.

21. In the diagram, AOB is a quarter circle of radius 10 and P QRO is

22. In 4ABC shown, the altitude AD, the angle bi-

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