Statistics and Probability · Probability
Test the birthday paradox
Calculate and test the chance that two people in a group share a birthday.
- Easy
- 1–3 hours
- Free
606 projects · 13 streams · every class
Investigations, models, simulations and visual proofs that show mathematics at work, from school topics to university-level modelling.
34 Mathematics projects
Statistics and Probability · Probability
Calculate and test the chance that two people in a group share a birthday.
Pure Mathematics + Cybersecurity
Encrypt and decrypt a message with small primes by hand, then in code, and see why large primes matter.
Applied Mathematics + Sociology
Build a logistic model of how a rumour spreads through a school and test it with a class game.
Pure Mathematics + Biology
Count spirals on pine cones, sunflowers and pineapples and test whether they are Fibonacci numbers.
Pure Mathematics · Trigonometry
Make a clinometer and find the height of your school building, a tree and a tower.
Statistics and Probability · Probability
Drop sticks on ruled paper, count how many cross a line and get an estimate of pi.
Applied Mathematics + Finance and Banking
Model how savings grow with interest and how inflation changes their real value.
Pure Mathematics · Geometry
Build paper dissections and algebraic proofs of the theorem and compare how each convinces.
Pure Mathematics + Fine Arts
Find which regular polygons tile the plane and create an Escher-style tile.
Applied Mathematics + Civil Engineering
Simulate cars on a ring road and show how jams appear from nothing above a critical density.
Applied Mathematics + Behavioural Economics
Play repeated prisoner's dilemma with classmates and compare what they do with the theory.
Applied Mathematics + Physics
Predict how period depends on length using only units, then confirm the power law with a log-log graph.
Statistics and Probability + Biology
Use capture-recapture with beans to estimate a hidden total, then judge how accurate the method is.
Pure Mathematics · Calculus
Find the dimensions of a can that hold a fixed volume with the least material, and compare with real cans.
Statistics and Probability · Probability
Invent a spinner or dice game, test whether it is fair and fix it if not.
Statistics and Probability · Data Analysis
Use the score at 10 overs to predict the final total and measure how wrong you are.
Statistics and Probability · Statistics
Plot anonymous marks from several tests and check how well a bell curve describes them.
Pure Mathematics · Algebra
Build 3×3 and 4×4 magic squares and prove why the centre of a 3×3 must be 5.
Applied Mathematics + Finance and Banking
Derive the EMI formula from a geometric series and build a full repayment schedule.
Applied Mathematics · Simulation
Measure real arrival and service times and simulate how the queue changes with one more counter.
Statistics and Probability · Data Analysis
Collect time-use data from 50 students and compare school days with weekends.
Pure Mathematics + Programming
Draw the Koch snowflake, Sierpinski triangle and Mandelbrot set and measure a fractal dimension.
Pure Mathematics + Geography
Colour maps of states and districts with as few colours as possible and link it to graph colouring.
Applied Mathematics + Programming
Find a short route through 15 places in your city and compare exact and heuristic methods.
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