The challenge has been won!

Well, I had a huge response from the math challenge last week.  Well done to all of you who had a go at the problems.  Lots of people emailed through solutions to the three problems and everyone was in the ballpark.

The problems were tough, but we have a winner.  One young chap worked really hard and managed to solve all three problems.  Tickets will be sent this week.  Again, well done.

There were people all over the country working away on them.  In particular, problem one, the car and the truck problem.  I will be posting in-depth solutions to each of the problems and showing how others tried to solve them.  You will be amazed at the different approaches.  This will be later this week unfortunately.
 
However, three quick points.

GRIT

Grit is your ability to work through frustration and stay on task.  The car problem requires grit.  It simply cannot be solved just by throwing a few minutes at it.  You MUST engage.  For those of you who did.  Well done!

Working with the unknown

Here is a secret...  'Learning' requires working in the 'unknown', the 'confusing', and the painful.  This is why so few people are great learners.  You must become comfortable with these three.  To learn maths you have to be comfortable in this zone.  This can and must be done.  For example, any exercise or sport is painful, but people love it!  Making a new PB in the gym, running faster or further than you ever have or pushing to win that game of badminton or squash - all painful but fun.  Some people never realise how awesome their bodies are and so think these things are painful.  But for those who have experienced it - they LOVE IT.

Maths is the same.  Learn to love the unknown, the confusing and the painful.  

P.s - any maths in which you know what you are doing, are not confused and is not painful is not maths.  It's more like playing Trivial Pursuits once you have memorised all the answers.

Those of you who struggled, or are still struggling, with the car question are in the zone.

 Picture and 'Stuff'

Maths is all about pictures (representations).  Numbers are just an advanced version of this.  How many of you drew little pictures of cars, and graphs etc.  That is maths.

I'll post the solutions soon,