Mathematics Computer Games on the WWW

The World Wide Web has several mathematical computer games available. In this project you will need to use your problem solving skills to play and win the games.

Picture of Tower of HanoiPicture of Tower of HanoiPicture of Tower of Hanoi
Option 1
The Tower of Hanoi
Available: http://cut-the-knot.com/recurrence/hanoi.shtml
The Tower of Hanoi puzzle was invented by the French mathematician Edouard Lucas in 1883. We are given a tower of four disks initially stacked in decreasing size on one of three pegs. The objective is to transfer the entire tower to the third peg, moving only one disk at a time and never placing a larger disk onto a smaller disk.
Your instructor will put the web site on the overhead. You will have some time to try the game out and then a solution from the class will be tried out on the overhead. Remember: your goal is to move all four disks with the fewest moves!

Option 2
The Set Daily Puzzle
Available: http://setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm
The object of the game is to identify the 6 'Sets', of three cards each, from 12 cards laid out on the screen. Each card has a variation of the following four features:
1.COLOR: Each card is red, green, or purple.
2.SYMBOL: Each card contains ovals, squiggles, or diamonds.
3.NUMBER: Each card has one, two, or three symbols.
4.SHADING: Each card is solid, open, or striped.
A 'Set' consists of three cards in which each feature is EITHER the same on each card OR is different on each card. That is to say, any feature in the 'Set' of three cards is either common to all three cards or is different on each card.
Your instructor will put the web site on the overhead. You will have some time to try the game out and then a solution from the class will be tried out on the overhead. Remember: your goal is to find all six sets!

Fruitgame Banner

Option 3
The all New and Improved Fruit Game
Available: http://king.2020tech.com/cgi-bin/nim/nim
At the start of the game, you will see four piles of fruit: peaches, oranges, lemons, and bananas. After seeing the fruit, you are asked if you want to go first. If you say "no," the computer will go first.
During your turn, you may remove any number of a single fruit from one pile. For example, you may take "3 peaches," or "1 lemon"—but never "3 peaches and 1 lemon." You must remove something every turn. You cannot "pass" your turn. To remove a number of fruit, click on any fruit to remove it as well as all the fruit to the right of it. The object is to take the last fruit from the table.
Your instructor will put the web site on the overhead. The class will work together to try and win the game.

Homework
All three sites will have hints and some even have solutions. After playing the three games, type up a report on these three web sites. Include a brief description of each web site and explain where the mathematics is (i.e. how do you solve these problems, how do these games relate to your mathematics class). Where and how do you think these games would fit into a k-8 mathematics curriculum? E-mail your instructor your paper (attach it as a word document).
 

Updated: 09/10/2003
Back to K-8 Mathematics Technology Projects