mscroggs.co.uk
mscroggs.co.uk

subscribe

Puzzles

Blackboard sums

The numbers 1 to 20 are written on a blackboard. Each turn, you may erase two numbers, \(a\) and \(b\) and write the sum \(a+b\) in their place. You continue until only one number remains.
What is the largest number you can make?

Show answer & extension

Tags: numbers
If you enjoyed this puzzle, check out Sunday Afternoon Maths LV,
puzzles about numbers, or a random puzzle.

Archive

Show me a random puzzle
 Most recent collections 

Advent calendar 2024

Advent calendar 2023

Advent calendar 2022

Advent calendar 2021


List of all puzzles

Tags

square numbers logic volume chess matrices circles 2d shapes expansions multiplication sets tiling crosswords percentages folding tube maps range sequences integers coins menace digital clocks planes advent dice division pentagons decahedra remainders unit fractions chocolate ellipses geometric means even numbers averages addition quadrilaterals quadratics cryptic crossnumbers proportion graphs calculus factorials complex numbers square grids squares parabolas spheres arrows pascal's triangle crossnumber christmas books square roots sum to infinity doubling gerrymandering odd numbers star numbers medians time bases multiples prime numbers area factors probability wordplay the only crossnumber tangents number perimeter polynomials combinatorics regular shapes powers balancing geometric mean money elections dominos cryptic clues scales shapes albgebra means numbers grids palindromes binary chalkdust crossnumber triangles rectangles cards floors functions consecutive numbers hexagons speed surds neighbours numbers irreducible numbers trigonometry ave grids people maths differentiation crossnumbers games median triangle numbers rugby sums polygons dates partitions tournaments indices angles determinants digital products colouring algebra taxicab geometry integration symmetry lines mean dodecagons sport cubics cube numbers coordinates products 3d shapes digits shape axes probabilty clocks consecutive integers geometry routes perfect numbers fractions

Archive

Show me a random puzzle
▼ show ▼
© Matthew Scroggs 2012–2025