Puzzling Presents: five gifts for the everyday maths genius!
We all know a few maths geniuses. Sure, they may be no Oxford professor like Tom Rocks Maths but watching a friend split a bill between five, including separating the drinks, sides and desserts (either in their head or on a calculator) is pretty impressive! At Beautiful Equations we love to celebrate these everyday maths fans and we’re sure you do too - except when it comes to finding a birthday gift..
Until now! Check out our ‘Puzzling Presents’ guide - gifts for every maths genius. Whether they prefer a mathematical brain teaser such as the tower of Hanoi or a 1000-piece jigsaw of your favourite London monument, a puzzle present is sure to keep them occupied for several hours. Here are some puzzle themed gifts ideas examples that could be exactly what you're looking for!
The Tower of Hanoi
This 200 year old maths game with three sticks and seven rings is solved by moving the stack of rings from one rod to the other but only while following certain rules. It’s the gift your maths mad friend will love, as after they crack the pattern to solve it they can then determine the algorithms behind it!
Newspaper Logic Puzzles
Sudokus and crosswords are great but they’re really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the logic puzzles that are printed in newspapers and magazines, such as futoshikis, minesweepers and kakuros.. if you know someone that is particularly passionate about puzzles then why not get them a book full of puzzles just like these?
Double-sided jigsaws
If your granny is already a jigsaw expert, a thousand pieces may no longer seem a challenge. Why not keep her on her toes with a double-sided version of the age-old classic? You can even personalise them with pictures of her favourite grandchildren!
Rubik’s Cube
The 1970s classic. If you want to keep a young relative quiet for several hours over the holidays, this could be the perfect solution! The colourful cube now also comes in many size and shape variations and so if it’s successful you could also have your idea for their next birthday too!
3D jigsaws
You can now quite literally take on the world while completing a puzzle, with 3D puzzles such as models of the globe! This one will definitely require patience to complete but it’s the gift that will keep on giving as it can double as a decoration (once you’ve put it together!)