Math Unplugged: Games & Puzzles

Math Unplugged: Games & Puzzles

Step into math where logic, puzzles, & strategy come alive! Knight's Tour, Peg Solitaire, infinite hotels—pure playful thinking.

Course Instructor

Prof. G. Arunkumar

Duration

8 Weeks

Course Fee

500

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About The Course

Math Unplugged: Puzzles and Games is an 8-week outreach course designed by Dr. G. Arunkumar from the Department of Mathematics, IIT Madras. This engaging program introduces school students to the playful and powerful side of mathematics through puzzles, games, and curious problems. From the Knight’s Tour to Peg Solitaire, from logic-based challenges to the infinite hotel paradox, the course brings mathematics to life without relying on formulas or textbooks. Through visual demonstrations, thought-provoking questions, and interactive storytelling, the course aims to spark curiosity, foster problem-solving skills, and uncover the deep connections between recreational mathematics and mathematical thinking.

Course Instructor

Prof. G. Arunkumar

Prof. G. Arunkumar
Assistant Professor, IIT Madras

Dr. G. Arunkumar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at IIT Madras. His research interests lie in Algebraic Combinatorics, Spectral Graph Theory, and the theory of Lie Algebras. He is actively involved in mathematical outreach and student enrichment programs, with a strong passion for making mathematics engaging and accessible to young learners. Through this course, he aims to help school students experience the joy of mathematical discovery beyond textbooks.

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Content Overview

Course Duration: 8 Weeks

Week 1: The Knight’s Tour and Mathematical Exploration

  • Introduction to the Chessboard and the Knight’s Moves
  • Historical background and the challenge of the Knight’s Tour
  • Constructing tours using heuristics and backtracking
  • Connection to graph theory and open problems

Week 2: The World of Infinities

  • What is Infinity? The Hilbert Hotel Paradox
  • Countable infinities and bijections
  • Cantor’s diagonal argument and uncountable sets
  • Sizes of infinity and philosophical implications

Week 3: Algebra in Disguise – x, y, z and the Klein Four Group

  • Why do we use variables like x, y, z in math?
  • The Peg Solitaire puzzle – patterns and strategy
  • Introduction to groups via symmetries
  • The Klein Four Group and puzzle symmetries

Week 4: Logic Puzzles and the Power of Reasoning

  • Doors and Guards Puzzle; Liar-Truth Teller Island
  • The Prisoner and the Light Bulb problem
  • Prisoner’s Dilemma and Game Theory basics
  • Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem (Intro) and Barber Paradox

Week 5: Fun with Cryptography

  • Secret codes and simple substitution ciphers
  • Caesar Cipher and Classical Cryptography
  • Public Key Cryptography – Introduction to RSA
  • Cryptography in real life and secure communication

Week 6: Meet the Constants: π and e

  • Historical journey of π and its significance
  • Estimating π using matchsticks and randomness
  • Introduction to e and compound interest
  • Natural logarithms and real-world growth models

Week 7: The Surprising World of Probability

  • The Monty Hall Problem – strategy vs intuition
  • The Birthday Paradox and collision probabilities
  • Real-life examples of probability gone wrong
  • Probability as a reasoning tool in decision making

Week 8: Open Problems and Mathematical Inspiration

  • What makes a problem famous and unsolved?
  • Collatz Conjecture and Goldbach’s Conjecture
  • Twin Prime Conjecture and Fermat’s Last Theorem

Live Sessions: Weekly live interactive sessions on Saturdays

Course Eligibity

Students from partnered schools in any stream of Class X, XI and XII

Assessment Layout

Assignments: The course includes the release of 4 bi-weekly online assignments (every alternate week). Students need to attempt at least 3 of these assignments and must achieve a minimum score of 40 marks in each to be eligible for the certificate.

Take-Home Project: An optional project consisting of questions that cover all the topics from the theory videos, accompanied by a small project report.

Final Exam: An optional online final exam designed to assess the knowledge gained throughout the course, which can only be attempted after completing and submitting the required assignments and the take-home project.

Certificate Acquisition

Participation Certificate - Check Sample Certificate

To receive this participation certificate, a student must pass 3 out of 4 assignments with an average score of at least 40 marks.

Completion Certificate - Check Sample Certificate

To receive this completion certificate, a student must fulfill the following criteria:

  1. A student must pass 3 out of 4 assignments with an average score of at least 40 marks.
  2. Submission of the take-home project is mandatory for the student.
  3. Once the above two conditions are satisfied, the student should attempt the final exam and must receive a minimum score of 40 marks.