Kareem Elminyawi

Pentagon Star Kareem Elminyawi

Numerical puzzles are excellent educational fun. In this brand new puzzle book, we attempt to combine numbers, graph theory, and geometry. This work is based on the very popular five pronged star graph. The book contains 400 numerically different puzzles of the same type. Each page has 4 puzzles, and there are 100 pages of puzzles. There are five numbers on the sides of every star, and the player needs to figure out five numbers to put on the empty vertices of the star to solve the puzzle. There is a unique solution to every puzzle. I.e. There are 5 numbers that if put correctly at the vertices of the star, the puzzle will be solved correctly. This situation is similar to our previous work "The High 5". The twist in this new book is the direction of the straight segments of the graph which adds a new challenge and takes more focusing to solve. Only positive integers/ whole numbers are used in this book and in solutions. First, the player has to start by choosing which side of the star to decompose into two numbers. Then, using the intial guess, the player can solve for the rest of the numbers on the vertices. If a players initial guess was incorrect, the player has to start over again. Trial and error is a good beginner strategy, so players are recommended to use pencil and eraser to easily fix their mistakes. There are no answers given at the end of the book because every exercise is easily self-proved. By the time a player solves a few of these puzzles, he/she will develop a sense of strategy and method to reach a solution faster. Teachers and students can use this book for contests, or to inspire learning. It can also be used as an activity book, or a work book. This book is great for math and puzzle lovers. Try it timed for an extra challenge! Share it with family and friends, and spread the word!