Problem of the Week

James Madison University
Department of Mathematics and Statistics


Rules: The "Problem of the Week" is a puzzle or problem of a mathematical nature which should be accessible to most students of "calculus age" and up. Each problem has a deadline two weeks from the date it is posted. Once the deadline for a problem has passed, the author of the best solution will receive a $5.00 gift certificate from Dave's Taverna. If there is more than one acceptable solution, the winner will be chosen at random from those.

Stay well-fed; solve the problem of the week.


Problems for Fall 2005:

  • POW #1: The Roaming Knight
    • Posted 8/29/05, due 9/12/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Patrick Mason
    • Also submitted correct answers: John Clark, Emily Cook, Benjamin Leard, and Wesley Storm.

  • POW #2: Sudoku
    • Posted 9/5/05, due 9/19/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Wesley Storm
    • Also submitted correct answers: Amanda Anderson, Kalee Bacon, Greg Barbush, Chantée Brakeville, Natasha Druetto, Shirley Druetto, Paul Golden, Troy Herndon, Aubury Holmes, Jessica Huddleston, Benjamin Leard, Patrick Mason, Matthew Musgrave, Nicole Nieves, Hannah Powell, John Richmond, John Szarka, and Anonymous.

  • POW #3: Coloring a Cube
    • Posted 9/12/05, due 9/26/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Wesley Storm
    • Also submitted correct answers: Nobody!

  • POW #4: Mr. Smith's Journey Home
    • Posted 9/19/05, due 10/3/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Benjamin Leard
    • Also submitted correct answers: Nobody!

  • POW #5: Pentominoku
    • Posted 10/3/05, due 10/17/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Natasha Druetto
    • Also submitted correct answers: Alicia Bobrowski, Amy Crizer, Shirley Druetto, Kristen Furlough, Linda Ha, Benjamin Leard, Heather Lille, Matthew Musgrave, Nicole Nieves, and Steve Winward.

  • POW #6: Making Triangles
    • Posted 10/10/05, due 10/24/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Tanya Blackburn
    • Also submitted correct answers: Martin Lehman, Matthew Musgrave, and Olga Slashcheva.

  • POW #7: Magic Squares Sudoku
    • Posted 10/24/05, due 11/7/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Martin Lehman
    • Also submitted correct answers: Tanya Blackburn, Meredith Crook, Heather Lille, Matthew Musgrave, Olga Slashcheva, John Szarka, and Wesley Wright.

  • POW #8: JMU SUMS Sudoku
    • Posted 11/14/05, due 11/28/05
    • The problem
    • The solution
    • The winner: Olga Slashcheva
    • Also submitted correct answers: Tanya Blackburn, Jonathan Lamanna, Matthew Musgrave, John Richmond, and Wesley Wright.





Problems of the Week for the current semester



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