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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.
Thirds, quarters and other fractions have long provided the basis for puzzles in a wide range of settings. Here are three from centuries past.
The arithmetic, quadratic, geometric and harmonic means (among many others) are all examples of a general family: the power means. They satisfy a well-known chain of inequalities.
