Commentary: Tangram, a puzzle game for kids that helps develop mathematical thinking

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Tangram is accessible, challenging, and a great educational tool.still used today in schools for explanations mathematical concept Develop mathematical thinking skillsIt also features one or two paradoxes.

The origins of tangram stretching date back to 3rd century China

Tangram is one of many sorting puzzles that have emerged throughout the ages.

The oldest known rearrangement puzzle, the Stomachion, was invented 2,200 years ago by the Greek mathematician Archimedes and was popular among Greeks and Romans for centuries. It consists of 14 puzzle pieces that can be put together in different shapes. There are 536 ways to fit the pieces into a square.

Then there’s Eternity Puzzle, released in 1999. It consists of 209 blue puzzle pieces that come together to form a large circle-like shape. It was so popular that 500,000 of his copies were sold worldwide. This is probably because he was promised £1 million (US$1.2 million) to whoever settled first.

Less than a year later, mathematicians Alex Selby and Oliver Riordan have solved the puzzle and won the prize. The creator of the puzzle, controversial Christopher Monkton, said at the time that he had to sell his house to make the winnings.

The origins of the tangram can be traced back to the 3rd century Chinese mathematician Liu Hui. Among his many other achievements, Ryuuki used the rearrangement of geometric shapes to elegantly explain mathematical facts such as the Gougu rule, also known as the Pythagorean theorem.

This rearrangement approach to geometry was later revealed in the creation of the 12th-century Chinese banquet tables (rectangular tables designed to be arranged in patterns to please and entertain guests at dinner). rice field.

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