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Math is often intimidating to the average man due to its complex appearance. To show that math requires creative thinking, not just memorization, I was wondering if anyone had any math problems that required some out-of-the-box thinking.

I am looking for something that can be solved with just basic math skills. Please limit problems that can be solved with high school math. I do not want a problem with a complex solution, just one that requires a lot of thinking to solve.

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    Look up Raymond Smullyan's books with a lot of logic puzzles that require very little of what most people consider "math", but which are entirely mathematical. Also, the "census-taker problem" is a nice problem.2012-05-24
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    @ArturoMagidin I'll look into that. Thanks!2012-05-25
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    Math can be intimidating to the average woman, too.2012-05-27
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    I believe old IMO questions are available online. Many are solvable with high school maths. All require a lot of thinking.2012-06-10
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    12 barrels of diesel, each containing 50 gallons, and an empty truck with an empty fuel tank of 10 gallons capacity are available at a base station. the truck can carry only one barrel at a time, and travels exactly 10 mi/gallon diesel can be siphoned at will from barrel-barrel, barrel to truck & vice versa, and barrels (full/partly full/empty) can be left anywhere on a long, lonely road through the desert. all the barrels are at base camp and only this truck is available What is the maximum distance from base camp the truck can travel ?2012-06-13
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    The question posted above needs only simple math, but is far from simple ! I shall indicate (in)correctness of answers received. To give the correct answer right away would take out the fun of trying.2012-06-13
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    @trueblueanil I think I'm misunderstanding the question: If the truck can hold a maximum of one barrel, isn't the maximum distance of the truck simply the distance it can travel one one barrel + the capacity of its tank? ((50 (diesel from barell) + 10 (diesel)) * 10 = 600 miles. The question obviously can't be this simple, what am I misunderstanding?2012-06-13
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    It can ferry barrels from base camp and leave them at any point on the way so that it can refuel. Many back and forth trips may be in volved.2012-06-13
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    Creativity is really connected with expectation. Probably the first person who solved a topological problem using groups was creative at its time. Now, even if you work with algebraic topology, you are not necessarily creative. So I think that it is natural that 'creativity' examples happen mostly in combinatorics-like problems, where there are known techniques and each problem is different of another one. It would be interesting to see examples of creativity from OTHER areas.2012-06-14

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