Maths Puzzles: Cryptarithms, Symbologies and Secret Codes from FutureLearn

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more The course is designed for anyone who enjoys popular science, recreational maths and solving maths puzzles and crosswords. It will be especially useful for parents or teachers looking to inspire a love of math and do fun math activities with young people. You can use the hashtag #FLmathspuzzles to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

Encoding maths puzzles, secret codes and symbologies
Solving and creating cryptarithms - puzzles where numbers in a mathematical expressions are encoded
Genres of cryptarithm including, ancient Hindu problems and alphametics
Special and unique cryptarithms, including prime numbers, logarithms, square roots and powers
Symbologies from ancient times to modern bar codes
The language of computers including, binary, ternary and gray codes
Decrypting ancient Egyptian number systems, Roman and Greek numerals
Barcode puzzles and how to solve them
Different types of operator puzzles including unary, binary and ternary
Modern operators including, logic operators, text operators and operators in Excel

Reviews summary

Recreational math, cryptarithms, and secret codes

According to students, this course offers a fun and engaging introduction to the world of maths puzzles, cryptarithms, and secret codes. Many found it highly enjoyable and a great way to inspire a love for math, especially for parents or teachers working with young people. The course's exploration of various symbologies, ancient number systems, and modern operators is considered clear and accessible. While some learners appreciated its recreational focus and bite-sized modules, a few found certain sections less challenging for those with a strong math background. Overall, it's widely seen as a solid foundation for recreational learning rather than a deep dive.

Generally well-structured, though some sections might feel slow or superficial.

"Well-structured and easy to follow through the modules."

"The pace was a bit slow at times, but overall a solid course for recreational learning."

"It covered a lot of topics but sometimes felt a bit superficial, not a deep exploration."

Complex concepts like cryptarithms and codes are made easy to understand.

"Even for someone who's not a math wizard, the course made everything incredibly clear and understandable."

"The historical context and breakdown of various number systems were presented very clearly."

"I found the explanations on different types of operators to be particularly accessible and well-illustrated."

Provides valuable resources for teachers and parents to engage children with math.

"As a teacher, I found fantastic ideas for my classroom. Highly recommend for inspiring young minds."

"My kids and I did the puzzles together; it was a wonderful way to explore math as a family."

"This course is perfect for anyone looking for fun math activities to do with young people."

A highly enjoyable course for math enthusiasts and puzzle solvers.

"Absolutely loved this course! The puzzles were so much fun and explained really well."

"Just what I needed for a fun brain challenge. The explanations of different number systems were clear."

"I really enjoyed the journey through cryptarithms and how codes work; it was truly engaging."

More of a broad overview; may lack depth for advanced math learners.

"Some parts felt a bit basic if you're already familiar with logic puzzles."

"I wish there were more advanced challenges or deeper dives into some of the cryptography aspects."

"This course is more of a survey than a deep dive; not very challenging for someone with a strong math background."

Career center

Learners who complete Maths Puzzles: Cryptarithms, Symbologies and Secret Codes will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers: