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Math Requires Creativity

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In this lesson, you'll solve five problems that require both efficiency and
creativity. Each problem can be solved in several different ways, and none
of them require a brute-force approach.

Instead, try to be efficient in your problem solving, and check out the
solutions for each problem to learn the strategies you don't already
know.

In this
array What number should replace the question mark?
puzzle,
each 14
shape has
a specific 17
value. The
20
number
next to
23
each row
or column 🎉   Correct!
represents
the sum
of the
Show explanation 1/4
values in
that row
or
column:

Do you feel like you solved the previous array problem efficiently?

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3/21/23, 10:59 PM Math Requires Creativity | Brilliant

If not, consider going back and checking out the problem's three
solutions.

Here's another problem that doesn't require a calculator or brute-force

approach. You can solve it efficiently by figuring out how to compare the
two numbers without actually calculating the exact value of either.

Which value is larger?

312

59

They are equal.

🎉   Correct!

Show explanation 1/2

Think about this one carefully. Most people who guess without thinking it
thoroughly guess wrong.

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Step
yti2libaborp eht s'tahW .wor a ni semit xis nioc riaf a spifl enimsaJ

Solution 2 : Again, there're 26?=

slia64
t npossible
aht sdaeh erom steg ehs taht
outcomes.

3
Now, we must count the situations in which Jasmine flips more
61
​

heads than tails. This happens when she flips 0, 1, or 2 tails. We

01
calculate the number of ways to do each one of these individually.
23
​

There's only 1 way to get 0 tails since all the coin flips must 1
be1
heads. 23
​

1
There're 6 ways to get 1 tails since the one instance of tails can
2
happen on any of the 6 coin flips.
tcerrocnI 🔎
Now, we must determine the number of ways to get 2 tails:

2/ 2 noitanalpxe wohS

As in the previous solution, the number of ways to arrange 6

different objects is 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1. In this case, we have
to divide this by the number of ways to rearrange the 2 identical
tails and the number of ways to rearrange the 4 identical heads,
which are 2 × 1 and 4 × 3 × 2 × 1, respectively.

So, the number of ways to get 2 tails is

6×5×4×3×2×1
= 3 × 5 = 15.
(4 × 3 × 2 × 1) × (2 × 1)
​

Therefore, all combined, there're 1 + 6 + 15 = 22 ways to get

more heads than tails, so the probability of getting more heads
than tails is

22 11
= .
64 32
​ ​

Back to problem

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3/21/23, 10:59 PM Math Requires Creativity | Brilliant

Now, we'll wrap up with two geometry problems. Neither of these

problems is about knowing the “right” formula or equation. Instead, use
your own logic and intuition.

This hexagon is regular:

Step 2 ?regral si saera deroloc owt eht fo hcihW

Solution 2 : We can rotate the entire figure 30∘ . This allows us to

deR
more directly compare a single red and a single blue triangle:

eulB

.lauqe era yehT

tcerrocnI 🔎

2/ 2 noitanalpxe wohS

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3/21/23, 10:59 PM Math Requires Creativity | Brilliant

We can see that they both have the same height, h, which extends
from the top vertex that they share to the base of the red triangle,
which is in line with that of the blue triangle. We can also see that
the bases of the two triangles are the same measure, noted as b.
This is because the base of the blue triangle is a shared side with
the red equilateral triangle below it:

The formula to calculate the area of a triangle is

1
× b × h.
2
​

Since the triangles have the same base and height, that means the
area is the same. Since each red triangle can be paired with a blue
one, the total red and blue areas are the same.

Back to problem

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3/21/23, 10:59 PM Math Requires Creativity | Brilliant

What's the sum of the red angles in the diagram above?

540∘

720∘

900∘

There isn't enough information to say.

🎉   Correct!

Continue Show explanation 1/3

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