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The beauty of mathematical problems often lies in an imaginative method—a "haha," as Martin Gardner called it—that makes the solution seem obvious, provided we can find a fresh perspective.
Puzzles have been part of human culture since earliest antiquity. At first, inventing puzzles was bound up with mythology or religion; gradually, it became a purely intellectual game, independent of any purpose or practical application.
The appeal of recreational mathematics is that it requires little formal knowledge. Yet there are ingenious techniques that are hardly ever taught.
To mark the publication of issue 200, Tangente organized a problem-writing competition. Nine of the forty-three puzzles submitted received prizes, but many others deserved one too. We asked the jury members to single out their personal favorites.
