Patent ID: 7549644

Claim:
An apparatus for improving mathematical skills comprising: (a) an optimization area based on a rectangular grid of cells with the said rectangular grid having an odd number of rows, an odd number of columns, a perimeter consisting of those said cells that are not entirely surrounded by other said cells, and with the content of said cells defined by position such that, (1) said cells that are locations for placement of numeric values and said cells that are locations with arithmetic function symbols form an alternating pattern both vertically in the columns and horizontally in the rows, and (2) said alternating pattern is such that said cells that are locations for placement of numerical values are not disposed in the rectangular grid corners, and (3) said cells disposed in the said perimeter of the said rectangular grid and simultaneously disposed such that they would be expected to be locations with arithmetic function symbols, based on said alternating pattern, are instead empty; (b) a set of numeric values for placement into said locations for placement of numeric values, (c) evaluation means to calculate an optimization area value, when all locations for placement of numerical values have been assigned values and all consequent arithmetic operations are arithmetically defined, comprising: (1) evaluating arithmetically, from left to right, the rows of said optimization area that form arithmetic expressions, (2) evaluating arithmetically, from top to bottom, the columns of said optimization area that form arithmetic expressions, (3) combining the evaluation results from the rows and columns in a predetermined manner to define the value of said optimization area; whereby a participant exercises their mathematical skills by placing said numeric values onto said locations for placement of numeric values so as to maximize said optimization area value.