Mr.P’s Parent Maths Problem of the Week

Hello parents,

Thank you to everyone who had a go at the Olympic Rings puzzle. 

The correct values are:
A = 8, B = 3, C = 7, D = 6, E = 4, F = 5, G = 9

A helpful strategy was to focus on the rings that already included a number. For example, the red ring contains G and 2, so the remaining number in that ring must add to 11, thus the missing number in the red ring can ONLY be 9. Starting with these fixed totals significantly narrows down the possibilities.

Similarly, each overlapping section affects two rings at once, so choosing a number there has a ‘double effect’. Rather than randomly placing digits 3–9, it helps to think: If I put this number here, what must happen in the connected ring? Working logically from the most restricted rings (those with 1 or 2 already placed) allows the rest of the values to fall into place step by step.

This puzzle is a great example of how problem-solving is often about logical elimination rather than complicated maths. 

Well done to everyone who persevered!

Solutions will be published in the following week’s edition of the Barrow Hills Bulletin.

Problem 7: 27 February 2026

A painter takes two days to paint a room (all four walls and the ceiling). If he works at the same pace, how many days will he take to paint a room that is twice as wide, twice as long and twice as high?