Nerdle: How Math Can Become Cool
If you’ve ever been obsessed with keeping your streak in Wordle, you’re one of the millions who were frustrated day by day when you couldn’t get the word in the first few tries. The pandemic saw a few games like this that challenged everyone even if the premise is pretty simple: figure out a five-letter word within six tries. Even those who did not like English were hooked.
This is a classic example of how gamifying something can make it more fun. In the case of maths, there have been a few attempts as well, with Nerdle being the most recent. So what does this say about the nature of math, and can this really make the scary subject seem cool?
Six Tries to Solve a Math Puzzle
Nerdle follows the format of Wordle, where you get six tries to figure out an equation. With how familiar Wordle has been to many during the pandemic, the same format felt less intimidating even if the subject is math. An IB English tutor in Hong Kong can use the same principle of familiarity to turn a difficult concept into something that one can solve–even if they don’t get it at the first try.
Color-coded Clues
More people got curious about Wordle when they saw the colored squares cryptically posted by other players. These squares show the journey to the correct answer, without revealing the actual letters used. In Nerdle, the same principle applies. You get a hint if one number or symbol is in its correct placement, incorrect placement, or not in the formula at all. This encourages you to keep trying. Tutors can also give you a similar hint, by telling you to start from a certain point or by showing where you made a mistake so that you can correct it.
One Problem at a Time
Perhaps one of the best elements of games like Wordle and Nerdle is the fact that wherever you are in the world, as long as the clock strikes 12 midnight, you are playing the same game as everyone else. This means you can compare notes with someone else to see how they came to their solution. Similarly, wherever you are in the world, you are following the same math concepts taught elsewhere, because math is universal. This makes it easier to be involved in math problems with friends, even if they don’t go to the same school.
Simple and Fun
Overall, Nerdle shows how math can be fun, challenging, and definitely solvable when you know the basic principles. Using ten digits, you can easily come up with different formulas, and even if you don’t know all the elements in that formula just yet, you can use the other pieces to reverse-engineer them. You are not just trying to guess an equation, you are actually applying basic math principles to solve them. Isn’t that fun?
Next time you play a game of Nerdle, observe how you come up with the solution. When you know the basic principles, you’ll see that math is not as scary as you initially thought it was.
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