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Playing Super Mario Brothers Is Like Solving a Super Hard Math Problem #dyscalculia

When I was in the 3rd grade I won a spelling bee because I had read the word acid before while playing Super Smash Brothers on my Nintendo 64. What do video games have in common with difficult academic problems?

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Super Mario Brothers have custom made levels which are more difficult to solve than very difficult math problems. Math problems which are very difficult to solve are called NP problems. Levels of Super Mario Brothers which were made with the Super Mario Maker match these problems in respect to difficulty.

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What do Super Mario Brothers and extremely difficult math problems have in common?

Super Mario brothers has some very difficult custom levels.

MIT computer scientist Erik Demaine studied the length of time required to solve NP problems. He developed a formula which correlates that time to the length of time required to finish custom levels of Super Mario Brothers. His research shows that the brain uses similar processes for math and gaming.

The more practice we get as a collective, the better we are at solving these types of problems.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert

Key takeaways

  1. Custom levels of Super Mario Brothers are as difficult as some of the hardest math problems.
  2. Super Mario maker can be used to make these levels.
  3. The hardest math problems are called NP problems.
Is it dyscalculia? Take the free test A short screener that shows where the math struggle really starts. Take the dyscalculia test

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· Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.