The Joy of Problem Solving features guided puzzles that run the gamut from simple logic to algebra and geometry. As someone who is decidedly not a math person, not to mention having a genuine deficiency in spatial reasoning, this wasn’t exactly a lesson I was looking forward to.
With no small amount of trepidation, I dove into this “mental workout,” and, thankfully, found it both unintimidating and downright helpful!
The Joy of Problem Solving certainly challenges, encouraging users to stretch their reasoning skills through observation and careful consideration of the information presented. With that established, you move on to imperfect information: contradictory, compromised, or blatantly untrue evidence that must be weighed against the unshakable, verifiable truth.
Early on you’ll encounter familiar problems, like the classic matchstick puzzle. (That one’s always a favorite of mine in the Professor Layton video game series, despite the fact that it still occasionally vexes me.) This exercise—wherein matchsticks must be added, taken away, or otherwise moved around within a greater figure—can easily be reproduced in real life, a genuine boon for the kinesthetic learners among us.
The same can be said to its follow-up, the coin-flipping activity. The difference being that this game isn’t always winnable. As such, you’ll be just as concerned with the process itself as with its overall validity.
Higher-level learning encourages users to explore geometric problems in three dimensions, with the ultimate goal of helping you become a stronger, more confident mathematical thinker. By breaking down this curriculum into small, easy-to-digest sections—something we refer to in the education biz as “chunking”—Brilliant leverages its straightforward written instruction and equally accessible animation into a helpful and engaging learning opportunity.
Head over to Brilliant now to become a better problem-solver. It’s free to start and a great way to model continued learning for the children in your life.
