Games in Mathematics

Yeap Ban Har

Marshall Cavendish Institute

Singapore

banhar@sg.marshallcavendish.com

Pathlight School

Singapore

banhar.yeap@pathlight.org.sg

Keynote Lecture presented at COE@ZE Maths Games Event

6 September 2010

Example 1

He has 2 and

she has 4. What

is my number?

Salute! The

product is 40.

Salute

Discussion

• Games can be used to increase opportunities for mental strategies.

• Games can be used to develop number sense.

Example 2

Sudoku with Cubes

Fill in the nine spaces with numbers 1, 2 or 3 such that each

row has each number exactly once.

2

3

3 2 2

2

3

3 2 2

Sudoku with Cubes

2

3

3 2 2

2

3

3 2 2

1

2

3

31

2

1

3

2

2

21

2

2

2

21

2

2

Sudoku with Cubes

3

32 1

1 3 2

2 1

Discussion

• Games can be used to develop spatial visualization.

Example 3

Take One or Two

The game is for two

players.

Start with any number of

paper clips

Take turns to remove

either one or two paper

clips.The winner is the player

who remove the last paper

clip(s).

What is the winning

strategy?

What if the rule is

changed? A player

removes either one, two or

three clips.

Discussion

• Games can be used to help student look for patterns and make generalization.

Example 4

This was not discussed during the lecture but I invite you to think how atraditional Southeast Asian game can be used to develop mathematical thinking.

Congkak

Congkak

Congkak

Congkak

Congkak

Conclusion

Games

• To develop number sense

• To develop spatial visualization

• To develop patterning and generalization