Ritangle is a nationwide maths competition where a new problem is posted online each week. This year, JCG students invited a group of VCJ boys to work with us on the problem at JCG. About 10 students from each sixth form took part, working together on the Maths corridor’s whiteboards to solve the questions, which are released in stages each week. Although each school could have attempted the problems separately, we chose to work together so that we could share ideas and support one another throughout the process. This collaboration followed on from our own “Us vs Them” maths challenge, which we created earlier this year, and which involved two teams from each of the schools sixth forms competing against each other to solve mathematical problems.
Through this collaboration, we successfully solved the Ritangle problem by discussing different approaches, checking each other’s working, and approaching the challenge from multiple perspectives. This experience showed us how valuable teamwork is in mathematics, as explaining our reasoning to others helped deepen our understanding and improve our problem-solving skills. It also demonstrated how competition between schools can develop into a more collaborative experience, allowing students from both schools to work together productively.
We believe collaboration is a key part of maths at JCG because it strengthens both our subject knowledge and our sense of belonging within the wider academic community.
How we solved the problem:
STAGE 1:
Left cog numbers 1 -8, middle cog numbers 1 – 20, right cog number 1- 8
8 x 11 x 9 = 792
Ada: 1000L + 10N + R + 792 = S
Will multiplies the three numbers each time then adds them all
Numbers on each cog appear equally often, so we treat the sum separately
S = 1000 x 99 x 36 + 10 x 72 x 165 + 88 x 45 = 3686760
T = 36 x 165 x 45 = 267300
S/T = 13.79
STAGE 2
The minimum path length is 19 (TRNLIGEA) = x
The maximum path length is 81 (ITGRENAL) = y
The question asks for the value of xy:
Therefore, we multiplied them together to get the final answer of 1539 as shown on the whiteboard image above.
In conclusion, this project was not only a challenging and enjoyable mathematical task, but also a valuable opportunity for sixth formers from both schools to work together as a team. Building on the “Us vs Them” challenge, this collaboration allowed us to learn from one another, improve our communication skills, and gain confidence in tackling complex problems. It showed how working together can lead to stronger results.