Skip to main content
Scientific American
Illustration of a hand and multiple numbers against a purple background.

Math Puzzles

Stretch your math muscles with these puzzles.

3 dice two with #6 face
GamesJuly 25, 2026

Math Puzzle: Label the die

Heinrich Hemme
5 beer glasses in various shapes
GamesJuly 18, 2026

Math Puzzle: Bottoms up

Jack Murtagh
Multiple bright blue stars of the Pleiades, a star cluster
GamesJuly 11, 2026

Math Puzzle: Connect the stars

Martin Gardner
Several fireworks launch to different heights, trailing white sparks. They haven't burst yet.
GamesJuly 4, 2026

Math Puzzle: Astonishing fireworks

Jack Murtagh
Illustration of a hand and multiple numbers against a purple background.
GamesJune 27, 2026

Math Puzzle: Compute the sequence

Heinrich Hemme
Athletes running in a race on a track with motion blur from the running movement
GamesJune 20, 2026

Math Puzzle: Running in circles

Jack Murtagh
Graphic shows a light yellow square divided into eight rectangles that have varying dimensions but equal areas. One of the rectangles is highlighted in a darker yellow and one of its shorter sides is labeled with the number eight.
GamesJune 13, 2026

Math Puzzle: Go to great lengths

Heinrich Hemme
A tennis ball sits on a clay court with the shadow of the net overlapping it.
GamesJune 6, 2026

Math Puzzle: Who’s the boss?

Jack Murtagh
Illustration of 3d numbers piled infinitely
GamesMay 30, 2026

Math Puzzle: Place the pluses and minuses

Martin Gardner
Graphic shows a six-by-six square grid. If the grid columns were labeled from left to right with letters A through F and the rows from top to bottom with numbers 1 through 6, icons would be placed as follows: robot in square B6; star in F1; arrow indicating a 90-degree clockwise turn in A2, A4, A5, A6, B3, B5, D1, D3, D5, D6, E1, E2, E4, F2 and F4.
GamesMay 23, 2026

Math Puzzle: The lost robot

Jack Murtagh
Illustration of 18 matches arranged at right angles to show the mathematical expression “seven ninths equals three.”
GamesMay 16, 2026

Math Puzzle: Fix the matchstick equation

Heinrich Hemme
Red numbers on blue background
GamesMay 9, 2026

Math Puzzle: The unlikeliest palindrome

Jack Murtagh
Next

Subscribe to Scientific American to learn and share the most exciting discoveries, innovations and ideas shaping our world today.

Subscription PlansGive a Gift Subscription
  • Explore SciAm
  • Latest Issue
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Newsletters
  • Podcasts
  • Games
  • Travel
  • Company
  • About
  • Press Room
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Standards & Ethics
  • International Editions
  • Advertise
  • More
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • US State Privacy Rights
  • Use of cookies/Do not sell my data
  • Return & Refund Policy

Scientific American is affiliated with LabX Media Group, which owns or has commercial relations with other B2B and B2C brands (many of them can be found at www.labxmediagroup.com). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers.

© 2026 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.