Hyperjumps
Daily Puzzle from Quanta Magazine
Hyperjumps, a stimulating math game from Quanta Magazine, challenges players to connect exoplanets using basic arithmetic. This engaging puzzle offers opportunities for students of all ages, from elementary to high school, to practice their math skills and develop critical thinking. While the game is accessible to a wide range of learners, it can be particularly challenging for younger students.
Thomas Lin, founding editor in chief at Quanta explains the game as follows:
It’s the year 2718. Humanity has invented a warp drive that enables a spacecraft to hyperjump to distant solar systems and back to Earth. The drive promises to revolutionize space exploration. But there’s a catch. The new technology can only make hyperjumps that follow the basic rules of arithmetic. Earth’s governing body has tapped you, an adventurous math explorer, to captain the first warp-drive-equipped starship in its fleet. Your mission is to discover and scout as many hyperjump routes as you can in a different solar system each day. Once these routes have been established, teams of scientists can safely follow in your footsteps.
Strapped into the captain’s seat, you sit in front of a console with eight blank digits, one for each exoplanet in the distant solar system. Each exoplanet has been assigned a hyperjump number. Your job is to input the numbers in a valid order — based on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division — making sequences at least three exoplanets long before you can take off. After each trip, you return to Earth to recharge your warp drive.
The game setting is given as 8 exoplanets with numbers on them. The player needs to put these numbers into correct set of sequences to be able to hyperjump!
The player earns one point for each planet used in a successful sequence. Longer sequences also earn points for their shorter, contained sequences. As more points are scored, the player can advance through the following levels:
Novice
Cadet
Explorer
Master
Champion
A new game with fresh numbers starts daily at midnight.
Connect at least three numbers using four operations. For example consider the sequence: 9, 6, 3, 2, 5. They are put together following these operations:
9-6=3
6/3=2
3+2=5
Namely every two consecutive number should operate to give the third number.
If you get a two-digit number, then use the last digit only. For example:
7, 6, 2, 8, 6, 4, 2 is made of:
7x6=42
6+2=8
2x8=16
8+6=14
6-4=2
Only POSITIVE numbers are allowed.
I tried this game with many different classes at school since its launch. The game is quite engaging. Some of my students tell me they continue to play it at home daily. (You can login, and save your results, similar to Wordle) In my experience Grade 8 and 9 students loved it the most. The solvability of the puzzle fuels the engagement. Even though the challenge level pushes back some, students usually want to continue as the arithmetic-wise the operations are quite easy.
I like the high-ceiling low-floor feature of the game. It is like Sudoku, challenging, yet addictive. Whoever with the basic arithmetic skills can play and enjoy it. It is definitely a game that every math teacher must have in their repertoire!
