Chapter 6: Number Play Class 8th Mathematics (Ganita Prakash) NCERT Solution

Ch. 6 — Number Play | Full Solutions
7 3 5 9 2
Ganita Prakash · Grade 7 · Chapter 6

Number Play
— every question, solved.

A complete, step-by-step solution set for every in-text question, activity and the full “Figure it Out” exercise from Chapter 6 — parity, magic squares, Virahāṅka–Fibonacci numbers, and cryptarithms, all worked out in detail.

5 sections 45+ in-text questions 5 Figure-it-Out sets Clear reasoning for every answer
6.1

Numbers Tell us Things

A number doesn’t have to be a measurement or a count of objects — it can also be a code that describes a situation, if everyone agrees on the rule for reading it.

Q
What do the numbers in the first picture tell us? What do you think they mean?
kids1
Answer

At first glance there’s no obvious pattern — the numbers don’t match height order, position, or anything visually obvious. That’s the point of the activity: you’re meant to guess the rule from a few examples, the same way the second picture (a different arrangement, different numbers) gives you a second clue to test your guess against.

Q
The children rearrange themselves in a new picture and call out new numbers. Could you figure out what these numbers convey?
kids2
Answer

Comparing both pictures side by side is the key move: whatever rule explains the numbers must work for both arrangements at once. Checking each child against their neighbours (rather than the group as a whole) reveals it — each child’s number depends only on the taller children standing ahead of them.

Q
The rule is: each child calls out the number of children in front of them who are taller than them. Write down the number each child should say for the arrangement shown below.
kids3
Step-by-step
  1. Label the children 1st to 7th from left to right (the front of the line).
  2. For each child, look only at the children before them (to their left) and count how many are taller.
  3. The very first child always says 0 — there’s nobody ahead of them to compare with.
  4. Go child by child: 1st has nobody ahead → 0. 2nd has one shorter child ahead → 0. 3rd has one taller child among the two ahead → 1. 4th is taller than everyone ahead → 0. 5th has three taller children ahead → 3. 6th is taller than everyone ahead → 0. 7th has three taller children ahead → 3.
Final AnswerThe numbers, left to right, are $0,\ 0,\ 1,\ 0,\ 3,\ 0,\ 3$.

Key idea — Section 6.1

  • A number sequence can encode a whole arrangement without giving away the actual heights — only the relative comparisons.
  • The rule here: each child’s number = count of taller children standing ahead of them in the line.
  • The first child in any such line always says 0.
6.2

Picking Parity

Parity is just whether a number is odd or even. It turns out you can predict the parity of a sum without adding anything up — and that’s a surprisingly powerful trick.

Q
Kishor has number cards and 5 empty boxes. The numbers in the boxes should sum to 30. Can you figure out which 5 cards add to 30? Is it possible?
cards
Available cards: 13, 13, 13 · 9, 9, 9, 9 · 1, 1 · 7, 7, 7, 7 · 11, 11, 11 · 5, 5, 5, 5 · 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Answer

Every single card shown is odd (13, 9, 1, 7, 11, 5, 3 are all odd). Picking any 5 of them and adding is the same as adding 5 odd numbers — and as the chapter goes on to prove, 5 odd numbers can never add up to an even number like 30. So it is not possible, no matter which 5 cards you choose — you don’t even need to try combinations to know this.

Q
Add a few even numbers together. What kind of number do you get? Does it matter how many numbers are added?
evendots
Answer

The sum is always even, no matter how many even numbers you add. Every even number can be arranged fully into pairs with nothing left over, so combining several even numbers just combines complete pairs — the total can still be arranged into pairs with no leftovers, which is exactly what makes a number even.

Q
Now add a few odd numbers together. What kind of number do you get? Does it matter how many odd numbers are added?
odddots
Answer

Here it does matter how many you add. Each odd number is “one pair short of complete” (one dot left over). Add two odd numbers and the two leftover dots pair up with each other — giving a fully-paired (even) total. This is why the sum of two odd numbers is always even.

Q
What about adding 3 odd numbers? Can the resulting sum be arranged in pairs?
Answer

No. Two of the three odd numbers pair up their leftover dots (as before, giving an even amount), but the third odd number still has its own leftover dot with no partner. So the sum of 3 odd numbers is always odd.

Q
Explore what happens to the sum of (a) 4 odd numbers, (b) 5 odd numbers, and (c) 6 odd numbers.
Answer
  1. (a) 4 odd numbers: the 4 leftover dots pair up into 2 pairs, nothing left over → even.
  2. (b) 5 odd numbers: 4 of the leftover dots pair up, 1 stays unpaired → odd.
  3. (c) 6 odd numbers: all 6 leftover dots pair up into 3 pairs → even.
PatternAn even count of odd numbers always sums to even; an odd count of odd numbers always sums to odd.
Q
Two siblings, Martin and Maria, were born exactly one year apart. Maria says the sum of their ages today is 112. Is this possible?
Step-by-step
  1. Being born exactly one year apart means their ages today are two consecutive whole numbers (like 51 and 52).
  2. Counting numbers alternate even, odd, even, odd, … so any two consecutive numbers are one even and one odd.
  3. An even number plus an odd number can never be arranged fully into pairs — it’s always odd.
  4. $112$ is even, but the sum of two consecutive ages must be odd.
Final AnswerNo, it is not possible — the sum of two consecutive ages is always odd, and $112$ is even.

Key idea — Section 6.2

  • even $+$ even $=$ even; odd $+$ odd $=$ even; even $+$ odd $=$ odd.
  • Adding an even count of odd numbers gives an even sum; an odd count of odd numbers gives an odd sum.
  • Two consecutive whole numbers are always one even and one odd, so their sum is always odd.
Q
In a 3×3 grid there are 9 small squares (odd); in a 3×4 grid there are 12 (even). Given the dimensions of a grid, can you tell the parity of the number of small squares without calculating the product?
Answer
  1. The number of small squares in an $m \times n$ grid is the product $m \times n$.
  2. If either $m$ or $n$ is even, the product is even (an even factor makes the whole product even).
  3. If both $m$ and $n$ are odd, the product is odd (odd $\times$ odd $=$ odd).
RuleA product is odd only when every factor is odd. If even one factor is even, the whole product is even.
Q
Find the parity of the number of small squares in these grids: (a) 27×13, (b) 42×78, (c) 135×654
Answer
GridReasoningParity
$27\times13$both oddOdd
$42\times78$both evenEven
$135\times654$654 is evenEven
Q
Come up with an expression that always has even parity; then one that always has odd parity; then one that could be either.
Answer
  1. Always even: any expression built entirely around a factor of 2, e.g. $100p$, $48w-2$, $6k+4$ — every term is a multiple of 2 (or a sum of multiples of 2), so the value is always even, whatever whole number $p$, $w$, or $k$ is.
  2. Always odd: take an always-even expression and add 1, e.g. $2m+1$, $8a+3$, $6n+5$ — an even number plus 1 (or plus any odd constant) is always odd.
  3. Either odd or even (like $3n+4$): any expression with an odd coefficient on the variable, e.g. $5n+2$ or $7n-1$ — when $n$ is even the odd-coefficient term is even (parity depends on $n$), so the overall parity flips depending on whether $n$ is odd or even.
Q
The expression 6k + 2 evaluates to 8, 14, 20,… — many even numbers are missing. Are there expressions using which we can list all the even numbers? All the odd numbers?
Answer
  1. Every even number has a factor of 2, so it can be written as $2 \times (\text{some whole number})$. Letting $n=1,2,3,\ldots$, the expression $\boxed{2n}$ lists every even number: $2,4,6,8,\ldots$
  2. Every odd number is one less than an even number, so $\boxed{2n-1}$ lists every odd number: $1,3,5,7,\ldots$ (unlike $6k+2$, nothing is skipped).
Q
What is the 100th odd number? Write a formula for the nth odd number.
Step-by-step
  1. The 100th even number is $2\times100=200$.
  2. Comparing term-by-term: Even numbers $2,4,6,8,\ldots$  vs  Odd numbers $1,3,5,7,\ldots$ — at every position, the odd number is exactly 1 less than the even number.
  3. So the 100th odd number $= 200-1=199$.
  4. In general: the $n$th even number is $2n$, so the $n$th odd number is $2n-1$.
Final Answer100th odd number $=199$. General formula: $n$th odd number $=2n-1$ (and $n$th even number $=2n$).

Key idea — Section 6.2 (continued)

  • A product is odd only if every factor is odd; one even factor makes the whole product even.
  • $2n$ generates every even number; $2n-1$ generates every odd number, for $n=1,2,3,\ldots$
6.3

Some Explorations in Grids

Fill a 3×3 grid with the numbers 1–9 (no repeats) so that every row, column, and diagonal adds up to the same number — and you’ve built a magic square.

Q
A 3×3 grid is filled with 1–9. What do the circled numbers outside the grid represent?
47516
6129
39820
131715
Answer

The yellow circled numbers are the sums of the corresponding rows and columns: row 1 ($4+7+5=16$), row 2 ($6+1+2=9$), row 3 ($3+9+8=20$); column 1 ($4+6+3=13$), column 2 ($7+1+9=17$), column 3 ($5+2+8=15$).

Q
Fill the two grids below so the row/column sums match the circled targets.
91313
82414
76518
24912
78924
46515
1236
121617
Answer

Both completed grids are shown above (bold cells are the filled-in answers). Working from the given entries and target sums pins down each remaining cell uniquely — other arrangements of the same numbers within a row can also work as long as the row/column totals match, so try building your own version too!

Q
Why is it impossible to solve a grid where the row sums are 5, 21, 19 and the column sums are 9, 11, 26?
Answer
  1. The smallest possible sum of any 3 distinct numbers from 1–9 is $1+2+3=6$.
  2. The largest possible sum of any 3 distinct numbers from 1–9 is $9+8+7=24$.
  3. So every row/column sum in a valid grid must be between 6 and 24.
Final AnswerThis grid asks for sums of 5 and 26 — both fall outside the possible range $[6,24]$, so no arrangement of 1–9 can ever achieve them.
Q
Why should the row sums (or column sums) always add up to 45?
Answer

Every one of the numbers $1$ to $9$ appears in the grid exactly once, and every number belongs to exactly one row. So adding up all three row-sums counts each of the 9 numbers exactly once — the same as adding $1+2+3+\cdots+9$. That total is $1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9=45$. The same reasoning applies to the three column sums.

Q
What can the magic sum be? Can it be any number?
Answer

In a magic square, all 3 row sums are equal, and together they total 45. So each row sum $=45\div3=\bf{15}$. Observation 1: the magic sum of a 1–9 magic square must always be 15 — it can’t be any other number.

Q
What are the possible numbers that could occur at the centre of a magic square? Which numbers 1–9 cannot occur at the centre?
Step-by-step
  1. The centre cell belongs to 4 different lines: its row, its column, and both diagonals. Every one of those 4 lines must sum to 15.
  2. If the centre number is $x$, each of those 4 lines needs a pair of the remaining 8 numbers that adds up to $15-x$ — and since all 8 remaining numbers are used exactly once across the 4 lines, we need 4 separate, non-overlapping pairs that all add up to $15-x$.
  3. Try $x=9$: pairs from $\{1,\ldots,8\}$ summing to $15-9=6$ are only $(1,5)$ and $(2,4)$ — just 2 pairs, not the 4 we need. 9 fails.
  4. Try $x=1$: pairs summing to $15-1=14$ are only $(6,8)$ and $(5,9)$ — again just 2. 1 fails.
  5. Checking every other value the same way (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) also comes up short of 4 valid pairs.
  6. Try $x=5$: pairs from $\{1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9\}$ summing to $15-5=10$ are $(1,9),(2,8),(3,7),(4,6)$ — exactly 4 pairs, using all 8 numbers with nothing left over!
Observation 2Only 5 can occupy the centre of a magic square made from 1–9. Every other number (1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9) fails to produce 4 valid non-overlapping pairs.
Q
Can 1 occur in a corner position? Can 9?
Answer
  1. A corner cell also lies on 3 lines (its row, its column, and one diagonal), so it needs 3 different pairs (from the other 8 numbers) that each sum with it to 15.
  2. For 1: the only triples containing 1 that sum to 15 are $\{1,5,9\}$ and $\{1,6,8\}$ — just 2 valid triples, not the 3 a corner needs.
  3. For 9: the only triples containing 9 that sum to 15 are $\{9,1,5\}$ and $\{9,2,4\}$ — again just 2.
Observation 3Neither 1 nor 9 can sit in a corner — both must occupy one of the four edge-middle positions instead.
Q
Can you find the other possible positions for 1 and 9?
Answer

Since $1+5+9=15$ and 5 is fixed at the centre, the line “$1,5,9$” must be one complete row, column, or diagonal — which means 1 and 9 sit directly opposite each other through the centre. So the pair goes either in the top-middle & bottom-middle cells, or in the left-middle & right-middle cells (in either order).

Key idea — Section 6.3, part 1

  • A magic square: every row, column, and diagonal sums to the same magic sum.
  • For numbers 1–9: magic sum $=15$, the centre must be $5$, and $1,9$ must sit opposite each other on an edge-middle, never a corner.
Q
Choose any magic square made of consecutive numbers. If m is the centre number, express how the other 8 numbers relate to m (how much more or less than m).
m+3m−4m+1
m−2mm+2
m−1m+4m−3
Answer

Every cell can be written as $m$ plus or minus a fixed offset (shown above) — this pattern of offsets ($\pm1,\pm2,\pm3,\pm4$ around the centre) is exactly the same for any set of 9 consecutive numbers, which is why sliding the whole square up or down (changing $m$) always keeps it magic. This mirrors the $2\times2$ calendar-grid trick from the Algebraic Expressions chapter, where every date could be written relative to one reference date.

Q
The First-ever 4×4 Magic Square — the Chautīsā Yantra. Why do you think it’s called that? Can you find other patterns of four numbers that add up to 34?
chautisa
The Chautīsā Yantra, a 10th-century inscription at Khajuraho, India
Answer
  1. Chau̩tīs means 34 in Hindi — and every row, column, and diagonal of this square adds up to exactly 34, so the name literally describes its magic sum.
  2. Beyond the obvious rows/columns/diagonals, other groups of four also sum to 34: the four corners $7+14+9+4=34$; the central $2\times2$ block $13+8+3+10=34$; and each set of four “corner cells of any $2\times2$ sub-square” within the grid.
Final AnswerThe name comes from the magic sum, 34. Several other 4-cell groups (corners, central block, etc.) also add to 34 — this square is unusually rich in such patterns.
Reading
Magic Squares in History and Culture — the Lo Shu Square, the Palani temple pillar, and the Navagraha and Kubera Yantras.
loshu_palani
navagraha
kubera
Notes
  1. The Lo Shu Square (China, 2000+ years old) is the earliest magic square on record, legendarily carried on a turtle’s back.
  2. A 3×3 magic square was found carved on a pillar in a temple in Palani, Tamil Nadu, dating back to the 8th century CE.
  3. The Navagraha Yantra uses nine different 3×3 magic squares (one per graha/celestial body), each with its own magic sum.
  4. The Kubera Yantra shown uses the numbers $20$–$28$: magic sum $=27+20+25=72$ (check any row/column/diagonal — they all agree).

Key idea — Section 6.3, part 2

  • A magic square built from 9 consecutive numbers can always be written as $m$ (the centre) plus fixed offsets $\{\pm1,\pm2,\pm3,\pm4\}$.
  • Magic squares have been independently discovered and studied across many cultures — China, India, and beyond — for thousands of years.
  • The 10th-century Chautīsā Yantra at Khajuraho is the oldest known 4×4 magic square, with magic sum 34.
6.4

Nature’s Favourite Sequence: The Virahāṅka–Fibonacci Numbers

The sequence $1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,\ldots$ first arose from counting poetry rhythms in ancient India, centuries before it reappeared in the West as the “Fibonacci sequence.”

Q
In how many different ways can one write the number 8 as a sum of 1’s and 2’s? Can you find more ways than the examples given?
Answer

Besides $2+2+2+2$, $1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1$, $1+2+2+1+2$, and $2+2+1+1+2$, many more combinations work — e.g. $2+1+2+1+2$, $1+1+2+2+2$, $2+2+2+1+1$, $1+2+1+2+2$, and so on. (The full, systematic count is worked out below: there are exactly 34 ways in total.)

Q
Here are all the ways to write 1, 2, 3, and 4 as sums of 1’s and 2’s. Try writing 5 as a sum of 1’s and 2’s in all possible ways — you should find 8. Can you figure out the answer without listing all the possibilities?
nDifferent waysNumber of ways
111
21+1   22
31+1+1   1+2   2+13
41+1+1+1   1+1+2   1+2+1   2+1+1   2+25
Step-by-step
  1. Every rhythm for 5 either starts with a 1 (leaving 4 more to fill, in any of the 5 ways already found for $n=4$) or starts with a 2 (leaving 3 more to fill, in any of the 3 ways found for $n=3$).
  2. So the count for $n=5$ is simply $5+3=8$ — no need to list every possibility from scratch.
  3. In general: (ways for $n$) $=$ (ways for $n-1$) $+$ (ways for $n-2$).
Final AnswerThere are 8 ways to write 5 as a sum of 1’s and 2’s, found instantly from $5(\text{for }n{=}4)+3(\text{for }n{=}3)=8$, without listing anything.
Q
How many 6-beat rhythms are there? Use the systematic method to write down all 6-beat rhythms — did you get 13?
Answer

By the same reasoning, (ways for 6) $=$ (ways for 5) $+$ (ways for 4) $=8+5=\bf{13}$. Yes — writing out all 6-beat rhythms (starting each with ‘1+’ from the 5-beat list, then ‘2+’ from the 4-beat list) confirms exactly 13 rhythms.

Q
So how many rhythms of short and long syllables are there having 8 beats?
Answer

Continuing the pattern $1,2,3,5,8,13,21,\underline{34}$ — the 8th term of the Virahāṅka sequence is $\bf{34}$. So there are 34 rhythms of 8 beats (matching Kishor’s card puzzle from Section 6.2, where all the number cards were exactly these Virahāṅka numbers!).

Q
Write the next 3 numbers in the sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, ___, ___, ___. Without adding, can you tell if the next number will be odd or even?
Step-by-step
  1. Each term is the sum of the two before it: $34+55=89$ (given), $55+89=144$, $89+144=233$, $144+233=377$.
  2. So the next 3 numbers are $144,\ 233,\ 377$.
  3. Listing parities so far: $1(O),2(E),3(O),5(O),8(E),13(O),21(O),34(E),55(O),89(O),144(E),\ldots$ — grouping in 3s from the start ($1,2,3$), ($5,8,13$), ($21,34,55$)… each group reads odd, even, odd.
  4. 377 is the 13th term; the 14th term (two after it) falls at the “even” spot of its group of three, so it must be even — and indeed $233+377=610$, which is even.
Final AnswerNext 3 terms: $144,\ 233,\ 377$. Parity repeats in a fixed 3-term cycle — odd, even, odd — forever, so you can always predict the next parity without adding.
Q
What is the parity of each number in the sequence? Do you notice any pattern?
Answer

The parities repeat in fixed groups of 3: odd, even, odd | odd, even, odd | … This happens because odd+odd=even and odd+even=odd, so once two odds are added to make an even, that even plus the next odd is forced back to odd — locking in the same 3-term cycle forever.

Q
How many petals do you see on each of these daisies?
daisies
Answer

The three daisies have 13, 21, and 34 petals — all Virahāṅka–Fibonacci numbers! This is a genuine, widely-observed pattern in nature: petal counts, seed spirals, and leaf arrangements very often land on numbers from this exact sequence.

Key idea — Section 6.4

  • The Virahāṅka–Fibonacci rule: each term is the sum of the two before it.
  • It counts the number of ways to write $n$ as an ordered sum of 1’s and 2’s.
  • First discovered around 700 CE by the Prakrit scholar Virahāṅka (building on Piṅgala, c. 300 BCE), roughly 500 years before Fibonacci wrote about it in Europe.
  • Parities repeat in a fixed 3-term cycle: odd, even, odd, forever.
6.5

Digits in Disguise

In a cryptarithm, digits are replaced by letters, and you have to work out which digit each letter hides — using arithmetic logic, not guesswork.

Q
T + T + T = UT — a one-digit number added to itself twice gives a 2-digit sum whose units digit matches T. What could U and T be? Can T be 2? Can it be 3?
  T
  T
+ T
UT
Step-by-step
  1. $T+T+T=3T$ must end in the digit $T$ itself, so $3T$ and $T$ have the same units digit — meaning $3T-T=2T$ is a multiple of 10.
  2. $2T$ is a multiple of 10 only when $T=0$ or $T=5$ (since $T$ is a single digit).
  3. $T=0$ gives the trivial (not really 2-digit) case $0+0+0=0$, so we take $T=5$: check $3\times5=15$ — units digit is 5, matching $T$! And $T=2$ gives $3\times2=6$ (a 1-digit number, not 2-digit $U T$); $T=3$ gives $9$ (also 1-digit) — neither works.
Final Answer$T=5$, and $UT=15$, so $U=1$.
Q
K2 + K2 = HMM — a 2-digit number (tens digit K, units digit 2) doubled gives a 3-digit sum with matching tens/units digit M. What digit is M? Can H be 2? Can it be 3?
  K2
+ K2
HMM
Step-by-step
  1. Doubling a 2-digit number K2 gives at most $2\times99=198$, so the hundreds digit $H$ can only be $\bf{1}$ — it cannot be 2 or 3, since doubling a 2-digit number never reaches 200.
  2. $2\times(10K+2)=100(1)+11M \Rightarrow 20K+4=100+11M \Rightarrow 20K-96=11M$.
  3. Testing $K=5,6,7,8,9$: only $K=7$ gives a whole-number $M$: $20(7)-96=44=11\times4$, so $M=4$.
  4. Check: $K2=72$, and $72+72=144$ — that’s $HMM=144$ with $H=1, M=4$. ✓
Final Answer$K=7,\ M=4,\ H=1$, giving $72+72=144$.
Try these
Four more cryptarithms to find each letter’s digit.
Solutions
PuzzleSolutionCheck
$YY + Z = ZOO$$Y=9,\ Z=1,\ O=0$$99+1=100$
$B5 + 3D = ED5$$B=7,\ D=0,\ E=1$$75+30=105$
$KP + KP = PRR$$K=6,\ P=1,\ R=2$$61+61=122$
$C1 + C = 1FF$$C=9,\ F=0$$91+9=100$

Each is solved the same way: write the addition in place-value form (e.g. $YY=11Y$), set it equal to the expanded target (e.g. $ZOO=100Z+11O$), then use the fact that every letter is a single digit (0–9) to narrow down the possibilities until only one combination fits.

Key idea — Section 6.5

  • Cryptarithms (or “alphametics”) turn arithmetic into logical deduction: expand each letter-number in place-value form, then use digit constraints (0–9, matching digits, carrying) to pin down each letter.
  • Bounding the number of digits in a sum (e.g. “doubling a 2-digit number can never reach 200”) is often the fastest way to eliminate possibilities.

Figure it Out

Five exercise sets from across the chapter, solved question by question.

p. 128

Height Arrangements

Rule: each child’s number = count of taller children standing ahead of them. Ranks below run 1 (shortest) to 7 (tallest).

Q1
Arrange a height sequence so the numbers called out read each of the following.

(a) Target sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 4, 1, 5

0
1
1
2
4
1
5

One valid height-rank arrangement (1 = shortest … 7 = tallest): 7, 3, 5, 4, 1, 6, 2

(b) Target sequence: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0

One valid height-rank arrangement (1 = shortest … 7 = tallest): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

(c) Target sequence: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

0
1
2
3
4
5
6

One valid height-rank arrangement (1 = shortest … 7 = tallest): 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

(d) Target sequence: 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0

0
1
0
1
0
1
0

One valid height-rank arrangement (1 = shortest … 7 = tallest): 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5, 7

(e) Target sequence: 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

0
1
1
1
1
1
1

One valid height-rank arrangement (1 = shortest … 7 = tallest): 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

(f) Target sequence: 0, 0, 0, 3, 3, 3, 3

0
0
0
3
3
3
3

One valid height-rank arrangement (1 = shortest … 7 = tallest): 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4

How these were built

Work left to right. Each new child’s height only has to satisfy one condition: exactly the target number of taller children must already be standing before them. Concretely — (b) is simply increasing height order (nobody new is ever shorter than someone earlier, so the count of taller-before-them is always 0); (c) is the exact opposite, strictly decreasing height order; (d) alternates a short dip and a new tallest-so-far; (e) opens with the single tallest child, then continues in increasing order for everyone else; (f) starts with 3 increasing tall children, then continues with 4 increasing short children.

Q2
For each statement, decide: Always True, Only Sometimes True, or Never True.
Answer
StatementVerdict
(a) If a person says ‘0’, then they are the tallest in the group.Only Sometimes True
(b) If a person is the tallest, then their number is ‘0’.Always True
(c) The first person’s number is ‘0’.Always True
(d) If a person is not first or last, they cannot say ‘0’.Only Sometimes True
(e) The person who calls out the largest number is the shortest.Only Sometimes True
  1. (a) A ‘0’ just means “nobody taller stood before me” — a short child at the very front also says 0 (nobody to compare to yet), so saying 0 doesn’t force you to be the tallest overall.
  2. (b) The tallest person in the whole line is automatically taller than everyone ahead of them, so among those ahead, exactly 0 can be taller — this one is a genuine certainty.
  3. (c) The first person has nobody ahead of them at all, so their count is always 0, no matter their height.
  4. (d) A middle child says 0 exactly when they happen to be taller than everyone before them (see part (b) reasoning) — possible but not guaranteed, so only sometimes.
  5. (e) A large number just means many taller people happened to stand ahead of you — it says nothing definite about your own height compared to the rest of the line.
  6. (f) In a group of 8, the largest possible number is 7 — the last person could have all 7 others taller than them (if the line is arranged tallest-to-shortest).
(f) Largest number possible in a group of 8$7$ (one less than the group size, since the last person can have at most everyone else ahead of them counted as taller).
p. 131

Picking Parity

Q1
Find the parity of each sum: (a) 2 even + 2 odd numbers, (b) 2 odd + 3 even numbers, (c) 5 even numbers, (d) 8 odd numbers.
Answer
SumReasoningParity
2 even + 2 oddeven+even=even; odd+odd=even; even+even=evenEven
2 odd + 3 evenodd+odd=even; plus any evens stays evenEven
5 even numbersany count of evens sums to evenEven
8 odd numberseven count (8) of odds → evenEven
Q2
Lakpa has an odd number of ₹1 coins, an odd number of ₹5 coins, and an even number of ₹10 coins. He calculated the total as ₹205. Did he make a mistake?
Step-by-step
  1. An odd count of ₹1 coins contributes an odd amount (odd × 1 = odd).
  2. An odd count of ₹5 coins contributes an odd amount too (odd × 5 = odd, since odd×odd=odd).
  3. An even count of ₹10 coins always contributes an even amount (any count × 10 is even).
  4. Total parity $=$ odd $+$ odd $+$ even $=$ even $+$ even $=$ even.
Final AnswerYes, Lakpa made a mistake. With those coin-count parities, his total must always be even — but ₹205 is odd, so that total is impossible.
Q3
We know even+even=even, odd+odd=even, even+odd=odd. Find the parity for: (d) even−even, (e) odd−odd, (f) even−odd, (g) odd−even.
Answer
ExpressionParity
(d) even − evenEven
(e) odd − oddEven
(f) even − oddOdd
(g) odd − evenOdd

Subtraction follows the same pairing logic as addition: removing a whole number of pairs from an even number leaves it even (d); two odd numbers each have one leftover dot, and removing one from the other cancels both leftovers, leaving pairs only (e); mixing an even and an odd always leaves exactly one unpaired dot, so the result is odd either way (f, g).

p. 136

Magic Squares I

Q1
How many different magic squares can be made using the numbers 1–9?
816
357
492
Answer

There is exactly one essentially different magic square using 1–9 — every other valid arrangement is just this one rotated or reflected (giving 8 look-alikes in total, but only 1 truly distinct pattern).

Q2
Create a magic square using the numbers 2–10. What strategy would you use? Compare it with the 1–9 square.
927
468
5103
Answer

Strategy: add 1 to every number of the 1–9 magic square. Since every row/column/diagonal already summed equally, adding the same constant (1) to every one of the 3 numbers in each line increases every line’s sum by exactly $3\times1=3$, keeping all lines equal — so it’s still magic, now with sum $15+3=18$.

Q3
Take a magic square and (a) increase each number by 1, (b) double each number. Is the result still magic? How does the magic sum change?
Answer
  1. (a) Adding 1 to every cell: still a magic square (as above); the magic sum increases by $3\times1=3$ (since each line has 3 cells).
  2. (b) Doubling every cell: still a magic square — doubling every one of the 3 numbers in a line doubles that line’s sum too, so all lines stay equal; the magic sum is simply doubled (from 15 to 30).
RuleAdding a constant $c$ to every cell increases the magic sum by $3c$. Multiplying every cell by $k$ multiplies the magic sum by $k$.
Q4
What other operations can be performed on a magic square to yield another magic square?
Answer

Any operation applied identically to every cell keeps it magic, as long as it preserves the equal-sum property line by line — for example: subtracting a constant from every cell, multiplying every cell by any fixed number (including negative numbers), or combining both (e.g. “double every number, then add 1”). Rotating or reflecting the whole grid also always produces another magic square.

Q5
Discuss ways of creating a magic square using any set of 9 consecutive numbers (like 2–10, 3–11, 9–17, etc.).
Answer

Start from the 1–9 magic square and add the same constant to every cell: to get 2–10, add 1; to get 3–11, add 2; to get 9–17, add 8 — in general, to get the set starting at $s$, add $(s-1)$ to every cell of the 1–9 square. The layout (which number goes where) never has to change, only the constant added.

p. 137

Magic Squares II — Generalised Form

Using the generalised layout found earlier — centre $m$, with the other 8 cells at fixed offsets $\{\pm1,\pm2,\pm3,\pm4\}$ from $m$.

Q1
Using the generalised form, find a magic square if the centre number is 25.
282126
232527
242922
Answer

Substitute $m=25$ into each offset cell ($m+3,\,m-4,\,m+1,\,\ldots$) to get the grid above. Magic sum $=3m=75$.

Q2
What is the expression obtained by adding the 3 terms of any row, column, or diagonal?
Answer

Every line’s three offsets always cancel out (e.g. $(m{+}3)+(m{-}4)+(m{+}1)=3m$; $(m{-}2)+m+(m{+}2)=3m$). So every row, column, and diagonal sums to $\boxed{3m}$ — confirming the magic sum is always 3 times the centre number.

Q3
Write the result of (a) adding 1 to every term in the generalised form, (b) doubling every term.
Answer
(a) Add 1 to every term(b) Double every term
$m{+}4,\ m{-}3,\ m{+}2$
$m{-}1,\ m{+}1,\ m{+}3$
$m,\ m{+}5,\ m{-}2$
$2m{+}6,\ 2m{-}8,\ 2m{+}2$
$2m{-}4,\ 2m,\ 2m{+}4$
$2m{-}2,\ 2m{+}8,\ 2m{-}6$
Q4
Create a magic square whose magic sum is 60.
Step-by-step
  1. Magic sum $=3m$, so $3m=60 \Rightarrow m=20$.
231621
182022
192417
Q5
Is it possible to get a magic square by filling nine non-consecutive numbers?
24318
91521
12276
Answer

Yes. Take the original 1–9 magic square and multiply every cell by 3 — the result (shown above, magic sum $45$) uses the non-consecutive multiples-of-3 set $\{3,6,9,\ldots,27\}$ and is still magic, since multiplying every cell by the same constant always preserves equal line-sums.

p. 143–144

Final Challenges

Q1
A light bulb is ON. Dorjee toggles its switch 77 times. Will the bulb be on or off?
Step-by-step
  1. Every toggle flips the state: ON→OFF or OFF→ON.
  2. After an even number of toggles, the bulb returns to its starting state (ON); after an odd number, it ends in the opposite state.
  3. $77$ is odd.
Final AnswerThe bulb will be OFF.
Q2
Liswini’s encyclopaedia lost 50 loose sheets, each printed on both sides. Can the sum of all the page numbers be 6000?
Step-by-step
  1. Each physical sheet carries 2 consecutive page numbers, e.g. $(n, n{+}1)$ — one even, one odd — summing to $2n+1$, which is odd.
  2. 50 sheets means adding 50 such odd numbers together.
  3. An even count (50) of odd numbers always sums to an even total.
  4. $6000$ is even — consistent with what 50 sheets can produce.
Final AnswerYes — parity-wise it’s consistent, so a sum of 6000 is possible for 50 loose sheets.
Q3
Fill the 2×3 grid with 3 odd and 3 even numbers to satisfy the row/column parity circles shown.
oeeo
oeoe
eeo
Answer

One valid filling is shown above: row 1 $=$ o,e,e (sum parity odd ✓); row 2 $=$ o,e,o (sum parity even ✓); columns $=$ (o,o)→even ✓, (e,e)→even ✓, (e,o)→odd ✓. Any filling that keeps the same odd/even pattern in each cell works equally well — only the parities matter, not the exact numbers.

Q4
Make a 3×3 magic square with 0 as the magic sum. Not all numbers can be zero — use negative numbers as needed.
3−41
−202
−14−3
Answer

This is exactly the generalised offset grid with centre $m=0$: every cell is just its offset ($\pm1,\pm2,\pm3,\pm4$). Every row, column, and diagonal sums to $3m=0$. ✓

Q5
Fill in with ‘odd’ or ‘even’: (a) sum of an odd number of even numbers, (b) sum of an even number of odd numbers, (c) sum of an even number of even numbers, (d) sum of an odd number of odd numbers.
Answer
(a) odd count of evensEven
(b) even count of oddsEven
(c) even count of evensEven
(d) odd count of oddsOdd
Q6
What is the parity of the sum of the numbers from 1 to 100?
Answer

$1+2+\cdots+100=\dfrac{100\times101}{2}=5050$, which is Even. (Quicker route: numbers 1–100 contain exactly 50 odd numbers; an even count of odds sums to even, and adding the 50 even numbers — always even — keeps the total even.)

Q7
Two consecutive Virahāṅka numbers are 987 and 1597. Find the next 2 and the previous 2 numbers in the sequence.
Step-by-step
  1. Going forward: $987+1597=2584$, then $1597+2584=4181$.
  2. Going backward, use $\text{previous}=\text{next}-\text{current}$: $1597-987=610$, then $987-610=377$.
Final Answer$\ldots,\ 377,\ 610,\ 987,\ 1597,\ 2584,\ 4181,\ \ldots$
Q8
Angaan climbs an 8-step staircase, taking either 1 or 2 steps at a time. In how many different ways can he reach the top?
Step-by-step
  1. This is exactly the “sum of 1’s and 2’s” counting problem from Section 6.4 — each way to climb 8 steps corresponds to one way of writing 8 as an ordered sum of 1’s and 2’s.
  2. That count is the 8th Virahāṅka number.
Final Answer$1,2,3,5,8,13,21,\mathbf{34}$ — Angaan has 34 different ways to reach the top.
Q9
What is the parity of the 20th term of the Virahāṅka sequence?
Step-by-step
  1. Recall the parity cycle repeats every 3 terms: odd, even, odd (positions $1,2,3,4,5,6,\ldots \to O,E,O,O,E,O,\ldots$, i.e. every position that is $2 \pmod 3$ is even).
  2. $20 = 18+2$, so $20 \equiv 2 \pmod 3$.
Final AnswerThe 20th term is Even.
Q10
Identify the statements that are true: (a) $4m-1$ always gives odd numbers. (b) All even numbers can be expressed as $6j-4$. (c) Both $2p+1$ and $2q-1$ describe all odd numbers. (d) $2f+3$ gives both even and odd numbers.
Answer
(a) $4m-1$ always gives odd numbersTrue
(b) All even numbers $=6j-4$False
(c) $2p+1$ and $2q-1$ both describe all odd numbersFalse
(d) $2f+3$ gives both even and odd numbersFalse
  1. (a) $4m$ is always even, so $4m-1$ is always odd, for any whole number $m$. True.
  2. (b) $6j-4$ only ever produces $2,8,14,20,\ldots$ — it skips many even numbers like $4, 6, 10$. False as a claim about all even numbers.
  3. (c) If $p$ and $q$ are both taken to range over $1,2,3,\ldots$ (natural numbers), then $2p+1$ gives $3,5,7,9,\ldots$ — it misses the odd number 1. Only $2q-1$ (giving $1,3,5,7,\ldots$) captures every odd number starting from 1. Since $2p+1$ alone doesn’t cover all odd numbers over that domain, the joint claim is False.
  4. (d) $2f$ is always even, so $2f+3$ (even $+$ odd) is always odd — it never produces an even number. False.
Q11
Solve this cryptarithm: UT + TA = TAT
  UT
+ TA
TAT
Step-by-step
  1. Write in place value: $UT=10U+T$, $TA=10T+A$, and $TAT=100T+10A+T=101T+10A$.
  2. $(10U+T)+(10T+A)=101T+10A \Rightarrow 10U+11T+A=101T+10A \Rightarrow 10U=90T+9A \Rightarrow 10U=9(10T+A)$.
  3. Since the result TAT is a 3-digit number starting with T, and UT+TA is at most $99+99=198$, we need $T=1$.
  4. With $T=1$: $10U=9(10+A) \Rightarrow 10U=90+9A$. Testing $A=0$: $10U=90 \Rightarrow U=9$. (Other values of $A$ from 1–9 don’t give a whole-number, single-digit $U$.)
  5. Check: $UT=91$, $TA=10$, sum $=101=TAT$ with $T=1,A=0$. ✓
Final Answer$U=9,\ T=1,\ A=0$, so $91+10=101$.

Chapter Summary

  • A sequence of numbers can encode relative information (like “taller people ahead of me”) without revealing the actual values.
  • Parity (odd/even) of sums and products can often be predicted without any arithmetic, just by tracking how many odd terms are involved.
  • In a magic square, row/column/diagonal sums being equal lets you deduce strong constraints (magic sum, centre value, corner restrictions) using only reasoning — this is a proof, not a guess.
  • The Virahāṅka–Fibonacci sequence ($1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,\ldots$) counts the ways to build a rhythm or staircase from steps of size 1 and 2, and was discovered in India through poetry centuries before Fibonacci.
  • Cryptarithms turn digit-guessing into logical deduction using place value and digit bounds.

Based on NCERT Ganita Prakash, Grade 7, Chapter 6 — Number Play.

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