Podcast

The Transum podcast is now available as a free download. You can paste the URL below into your podcast program to subscribe.

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A new episode is produced at the beginning of each month and contains a round up of developments on the Transum Mathematics website as well as a puzzle of the month.

 

Episode Guide

113. What is the letter D worth?
From the clues about A, B and C can you work out the value of D? This episode was published on Mon, 1 Apr 2024 [Running time: 8:10]

112. Easter Egg Evaluation
What is the largest number of eggs that cannot be purchased using a combination of the given basket sizes? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Mar 2024 [Running time: 9:25]

111. Leap Year February
What birthday did Attika celebrate in the last leap year of the last century? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Feb 2024 [Running time: 12:45]

110. Justin's New Year's Resolution
How many days in January will Justin be able to go for a jog? This episode was published on Mon, 1 Jan 2024 [Running time: 11:17]

109. Mean Spending On Christmas Presents
Work out the cost of the most expensive gift given the mean cost and other clues. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Dec 2023 [Running time: 7:57]

108. End of Squares and Cubes
How many positive two-digit numbers are there whose square and cube both end in the same digit? This episode was published on Tue, 31 Oct 2023 [Running time: 11:52]

107. Whopping Million
Find two whole numbers, not containing zeros, that when multiplied, give a million. This episode was published on Sun, 1 Oct 2023 [Running time: 12:06]

106. Divided Dartboard
A dartboard splits in two. One piece's numbers sum to twice the other's. Where's the break? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Sep 2023 [Running time: 11:06]

105. Calamity Cousins
Work out the range of the ages of the cousins given the average clues. This episode was published on Tue, 1 Aug 2023 [Running time: 13:43]

104. Sum-What?
If x and y are positive integers, what is the sum of x and y? This episode was published on Sat, 1 Jul 2023 [Running time: 15:02]

103. Indices are powerful exponents!
x squared equals sixteen to the power of x. Find the value of x. This episode was published on Thu, 1 June 2023 [Running time: 11:09]

102. Letters in a Sentence
Write a number in words in the gap in the sentence that will make the statement true. This episode was published on Mon, 1 May 2023 [Running time: 13:17]

101. Cupcakes and Easter Eggs
Work out how many children there were eating cupcakes from the given clues. This episode was published on Sat, 1 Apr 2023 [Running time: 10:55]

100. One Hundred Puzzle
Can you make 100 from four sevens and a zero? This episode was published on Wed, 1 Mar 2023 [Running time: 12:49]

99. Palindromic Numbers
Work out Mr Wheeler's average speed given the palindromic numbers seen on his odometer. This episode was published on Wed, 1 Feb 2023 [Running time: 10:16]

98. Six Three-Letter Words
Work out the teacher's favourite word from the statements made by the clever students. This episode was published on Sun, 1 Jan 2023 [Running time: 12:11]

97. Coloured Ornaments
How many ornaments are on the tree and how many of each colour are there? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Dec 2022 [Running time: 7:49]

96. Same Probability
Why are the probabilities the same of picking two balls with an odd sum from two different pots? This episode was published on Tue, 1 Nov 2022 [Running time: 9:06]

95. Settle Debts
What is the best way to settle the debts of the four friends? This episode was published on Sat, 1 Oct 2022 [Running time: 8:00]

94. Viral Maths
What is the correct result of the calculation that has become a viral talking point on the internet? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Sep 2022 [Running time: 21:03]

93. Holiday Island Weather
Work out the length of my holiday from the clues about the weather. This episode was published on Mon, 1 Aug 2022 [Running time: 8:19]

92. Weighted Puzzle
What four weights would enable me to use the balance scales to weigh any object from 1 to 40 pounds? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Jul 2022 [Running time: 11:56]

91. Alphabetical Numbers
Arange all the natural numbers in alphabetical order - which number comes second? This episode was published on Wed, 1 June 2022 [Running time: 10:34]

90. Strange Dice
Number the faces of the cubes to make strange dice with a minimum face sum. This episode was published on Sun, 1 May 2022 [Running time: 11:09]

89. Leaving Transumvania
Find where the drone catches up with the ship given their relative speeds. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Apr 2022 [Running time: 7:25]

88. Rolling Dice
Find a nice method to work out which number on the dice is uppermost after rolling across a chess board. This episode was published on Tue, 1 Mar 2022 [Running time: 10:58]

87. Sisters Outnumber Brothers
Work out the total number of children in Rachel's family using the clues about brothers and sisters. This episode was published on Tue, 1 Feb 2022 [Running time: 13:15]

86. Time and Calendars
How many times in a 24 hour period do all four digits on my bedside clock change at the same time? This episode was published on Sat, 1 Jan 2022 [Running time: 10:32]

85. Santa's Small Window
How do you increase the area of a window without changing its height or width? This episode was published on Wed, 1 Dec 2021 [Running time: 8:00]

84. How Much Richer?
A puzzle about the relative wealth of Maureen compared to Doreen. This episode was published on Mon, 1 Nov 2021 [Running time: 10:12]

83. Factor Shopping
Find the prices of the items bought if they are different and all factors of the total bill. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Oct 2021 [Running time: 11:10]

82. Splitting ten for a big product
Which of the many ways of splitting ten gives the largest product? This episode was published on Wed, 1 Sep 2021 [Running time: 10:09]

81. Where's The Father?
What seems like a familiar puzzle has an unusual twist. This episode was published on Sun, 1 Aug 2021 [Running time: 12:30]

80. A Frobenius coin problem
What is the largest amount that cannot be made with 5p and 7p coins? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Jul 2021 [Running time: 14:40]

79. Bus Fare Premonition
How did the bus driver know how much to charge Mrs P and Mrs Q? This episode was published on Tue, 1 Jun 2021 [Running time: 14:06]

78. A Half Mean Angle
Find angle A given that it is the half of the mean of the angles at B and C in triangle ABC. This episode was published on Sat, 1 May 2021 [Running time: 14:57]

77. Food Inflation
The cost of a meal increases by 4% to a whole number of pounds. This episode was published on Thu, 1 Apr 2021 [Running time: 18:50]

76. Chris and his Unpredictable Kids
A think of a number puzzle with an unpredictable element. This episode was published on Mon, 1 Mar 2021 [Running time: 11:19]

75. Keith and Kath
Find the ages of Keith and Kath from the clues given. This episode was published on Mon, 1 Feb 2021 [Running time: 10:59]

74. Two-Faced and Blue
How many of the smaller cubes that make up the 3x3 cube have two faces painted blue? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Jan 2021 [Running time: 7:00]

73. Santa is Cool
What temperature is reported using the same number in Celsius and Fahrenheit? This episode was published on Tue, 1 Dec 2020 [Running time: 12:26]

72. Three Trios of Triplets Thrice
A simple question that seventy two percent of a group of people got wrong. This episode was published on Sun, 1 Nov 2020 [Running time: 10:05]

71. Trains Together
How far apart will the trains be half an hour before they meet? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Oct 2020 [Running time: 11:00]

70. Six Ropes
Can the pirates win their freedom by tying the six pieces of rope into one large loop? This episode was published on Tue, 1 Sep 2020 [Running time: 6:53]

69. Bogdan and Wally
In what order should you play Ultimate Noughts and Crosses against Wally and Bogdan? This episode was published on Sat, 1 Aug 2020 [Running time: 8:18]

68. What's My Name Riddle
Work out the name from the rhyming riddles. This episode was published on Wed, 1 Jul 2020 [Running time: 8:57]

67. Mathematical Days
What is the date of the next Pythagorean Theorem Day? This episode was published on Mon, 1 Jun 2020 [Running time: 9:22]

66. Eva's Eggs and Fickle Fractions
How many eggs did Eva take to market in order to make those strange half sales? This episode was published on Fri, 1 May 2020 [Running time: 10:36]

65. Feeding Fools and Horses
How long will the horse feed last the horses after some of them left the stables? This episode was published on Wed, 1 Apr 2020 [Running time: 9:06]

64. Balancing Balloons
How many balloons must Jamie give to Ben to balance the balloon equation? This episode was published on Sun, 1 Mar 2020 [Running time: 8:40]

63. Awe-Sum, Flabbergasted and a Puzzle from Carl
Carl's puzzle is about the result of dividing the product of his parents' ages by double his own age. This episode was published on Sat, 1 Feb 2020 [Running time: 12:34]

62. Odds from evens up to 2020
Subract the sum of the odd numbers less than 2020 from the sum of the even numbers less than 2020. This episode was published on Wed, 1 Jan 2020 [Running time: 8:19]

61. Noel in Lapland
Work out the length of Noel's trip to Lapland given the details of the weather conditions. This episode was published on Sun, 1 Dec 2019 [Running time: 7:25]

60. Multiple Remainders
Find the second smallest number that satisfies the given conditions about remainders. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Nov 2019 [Running time: 12:25]

59. Coaches to Cambridge
Figure out which coach I was sitting in when I travelled by train to Cambridge last summer. This episode was published on Tue, 1 Oct 2019 [Running time: 13:42]

58. Percy Cod's Kids
How old are Percy's children given the ratio of their ages now and in ten years' time? This episode was published on Sun, 1 Sep 2019 [Running time: 9:50]

57. Carrot-Eating Critters
How many of each type of animal shared the 20 carrots? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Aug 2019 [Running time: 10:53]

56. Arrow in Square
What fraction of the square does the arrow cover? This episode was published on Mon, 1 Jul 2019 [Running time: 10:20]

55. Puzzles, Riddles and Conundrums
A puzzle (or riddle) about Percy who seems to age very quickly from 13 to 16. This episode was published on Sat, 1 Jun 2019 [Running time: 14:08]

54. Monkeys, Kittens and Dogs
A riddle about the person most likely to be able to work out the square root of 121. This episode was published on Wed, 1 May 2019 [Running time: 10:32]

53. Feed the Horses
Calculate the number of days worth of horse feed that are left for Obadiah Sloop. This episode was published on Mon, 1 Apr 2019 [Running time: 10:31]

52. Radio Riddle
Solve the riddle heard on the radio involving modular arithmetic. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Mar 2019 [Running time: 13:07]

51. Prime Permutations
Of all the permutations of 1 to 9 used to make nine-digit numbers, how many are prime? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Feb 2019 [Running time: 12:50]

50. 4-Digit Hotel Room Safe Code
Can you work out what number I used to lock and unlock my hotel room safe? This episode was published on Tue, 1 Jan 2019 [Running time: 9:41]

49. Choir Eye Colour
Figure out the percentage of choir members that do not have blue eyes from the clues given. This episode was published on Fri, 30 Nov 2018 [Running time: 8:20]

48. Calculator Keys at the Corners of a Rectangle
What do the four digit numbers typed into a calculator using four keys at the corners of a rectangle have in common? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Nov 2018 [Running time: 10:04]

47. Average House Numbers
Work out the house numbers from the clues about the mean, median and mode. This episode was published on Mon, 1 Oct 2018 [Running time: 8:12]

46. Clock in the Mirror
What time was the clock in the mirror really showing? This episode was published on Sat, 1 Sep 2018 [Running time: 11:00]

45. Delightfully Divisible
Find a pandigital number that is delightfully divisible. This episode was published on Mon, 30 Jul 2018 [Running time: 7:56]

44. Five integers with a product of 12
Can you find five integers that multiply together to give twelve? This episode was published on Sun, 1 Jul 2018 [Running time: 5:32]

43. Square in a Rectangle
What is the largest square that can be drawn in the corner of a 10cm by 15cm rectangle that does not cross the diagonal of the rectangle? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Jun 2018 [Running time: 8:10]

42. London Marathon
A question about the average speed required for the second half of the marathon. This episode was published on Tue, 1 May 2018 [Running time: 18:28]

41. Cutting the Lawn
Aynuk and Ayli cut half of the lawn each. How long is each side of the square lawn? This episode was published on Sun, 1 Apr 2018 [Running time: 12:56]

40. The Missing Pound's Found
A really wonderful answer to the missing pound puzzle. This episode was published on Thu, 1 Mar 2018 [Running time: 13:22]

39. Forty Five In Four Parts
Split the number 45 into four parts according to the given information. This episode was published on Thu, 1 Feb 2018 [Running time: 9:27]

38. Shrivelled Spuds
Work out the weight of the potatoes after they have been left out in the sun to dry. This episode was published on Mon, 8 Jan 2018 [Running time: 6:36]

37. Transposition Error
Work out the bank balance given information about the transposition error. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Dec 2017 [Running time: 10:04]

36. Counting Sheep
Work out the number of sheep owned by Percy and Patsy from the given clues. This episode was published on Wed, 1 Nov 2017 [Running time: 12:54]

35. Juggling with Egg Timers
Can you time exactly nine minutes using the four and seven minute egg timers? This episode was published on Sun, 1 Oct 2017 [Running time: 11:08]

34. Permutations Sum
What is sum of all the four digit numbers containing all of the digits one to four? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Sep 2017 [Running time: 12:17]

33. Odd Probability
What is the probability that two random numbers are both even if they are not both odd? This episode was published on Mon, 31 Jul 2017 [Running time: 14:24]

32. Regions in Circles
Calculate the number of regions in a circle formed by intersecting chords. This episode was published on Fri, 30 Jun 2017 [Running time: 9:32]

31. Brothers and Sisters
Can you work out the number of children in the Numlove family given the clues about brothers and sisters? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Jun 2017 [Running time: 11:58]

30. Exam Average
What mark is required in the last exam to achieve an 80% overall average? This episode was published on Sun, 30 Apr 2017 [Running time: 12:35]

29. Cake Cut
Where should the last slice of cake be cut to give two equal pieces? This episode was published on Fri, 31 Mar 2017 [Running time: 12:59]

28. Holy Sphere
Calculate the remaining volume of the sphere after a cylindrical hole has been drilled through the centre. This episode was published on Mon, 27 Feb 2017 [Running time: 11:15]

27. Jumping Flea
How many different places could the flea find itself after 8 foot-long jumps either north, south, east or west? This episode was published on Tue, 17 Jan 2017 [Running time: 10:19]

26. Last Digit
How many positive two-digit numbers are there whose square and cube both end in the same digit? This episode was published on Thu, 1 Dec 2016 [Running time: 11:47]

25. Central Station
The probability that the next train to leave will be going north is five times the probability that the next train to leave will be going south. This episode was published on Tue, 1 Nov 2016 [Running time: 6:22]

24. Canteen Queue
Is it possible to answer the question if Betsy's age is not known? This episode was published on Fri, 30 Sep 2016 [Running time: 10:14]

23. Separated Twins
Work out the combination of the safe given the clues about pairs of numbers. This episode was published on Fri, 2 Sep 2016 [Running time: 7:07]

22. Divisible By Three
A puzzle about two digit numbers that can be made from ten different digits. This episode was published on Fri, 1 Jul 2016 [Running time: 8:06]

21. Letters In Numbers
A brand new puzzle involving the letters in numbers when written as words. This episode was published on Thu, 2 Jun 2016 [Running time: 7:52]

20. Square Angled Triangle
The angles of a triangle are all square numbers. What are they? This episode was published on Tue, 3 May 2016 [Running time: 8:00]

19. Tri-Junction Puzzle
What is the probability of the three cars arriving at the road junction not being involved in an accident? This episode was published on Fri, 1 Apr 2016 [Running time: 8:17]

18. Two Prime Squares
What is the smallest square number (greater than one) that cannot be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers? This episode was published on Fri, 4 Mar 2016 [Running time: 11:17]

17. The Missing Pound
Where did the missing pound go in this story about three people visiting a restaurant? This episode was published on Tue, 2 Feb 2016 [Running time: 6:52]

16. Ticks, Tocks, Tacks and Tucks
Find how ticks compare to tocks, tacks and tucks from the given information. This episode was published on Thu, 7 Jan 2016 [Running time: 8:33]

15. The Power of Christmas
A question about indices to get you thinking mathematically at this festive time of year. This episode was published on Thu, 3 Dec 2015 [Running time: 7:10]

14. Ant and Dec
What single question could Dec ask Ant to find out what he is thinking? This episode was published on Tue, 3 Nov 2015 [Running time: 7:05]

13. Bookworm
How far does the bookworm travel on its meal-time journey? This episode was published on Wed, 30 Sep 2015 [Running time: 6:40]

12. Three Mathematicians
How can the third mathematician be so certain that everyone wants a drink? This episode was published on Tue, 1 Sep 2015 [Running time: 7:21]

11. Unfinished Game
If the coin tossing game was cut short how would you share the winnings? This episode was published on Fri, 29 May 2015 [Running time: 9:19]

10. Alphanumbetical
Questions about the letters used to make the natural numbers. This episode was published on Mon, 4 May 2015 [Running time: 6:43]

9. Best Dice
Which of the unusual dice would you choose to give you the best chance of winning the prize? This episode was published on Wed, 1 Apr 2015 [Running time: 8:55]

8. The Birthday Problem
What is the probability of two or more pupils in a class having the same birthday? This episode was published on Mon, 2 Mar 2015 [Running time: 9:44]

7. Enigma Vowels
A coding question inspired by the film The Imitation Game. This episode was published on Tue, 3 Feb 2015 [Running time: 6:03]

6. Biased Coin
A mathematical question asked by Microsoft and Google interviewers. This episode was published on Mon, 5 Jan 2015 [Running time: 7:56]

5. Twelve Days of Christmas
Can you figure out exactly how many gifts the true love sends during the twelve days of the Christmas holiday? This episode was published on Thu, 27 Nov 2014 [Running time: 13:46]

4. Chased by a Bear
This month there is a puzzle about an explorer being chased by a bear along with a question about imperial and metric measures with Measurement Man This episode was published on Sat, 1 Nov 2014 [Running time: 14:38]

3. Halloween Bases
This month there is a puzzle about Why is halloween like Christmas along with news of the new Number Skills Inventory This episode was published on Wed, 1 Oct 2014 [Running time: 14:45]

2. Torch Tunnel
This month there is a puzzle about four people making their way through a tunnel with just one torch along with news of the new numerology page This episode was published on Mon, 1 Sep 2014 [Running time: 14:41]

1. Cube in Milk
This month there is a puzzle about a cube being lowered into a bucket of milk along with news of the new shunting puzzles This episode was published on Fri, 1 Aug 2014 [Running time: 9:44]