Imposter Set in Mathematics: A Fun Way to Improve Your Number Sense

Absolute GPA
4 min readFeb 18, 2023

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Have you ever played the game of finding the odd one out? The Imposter Set in Mathematics is a similar concept where you have to find the imposter from a set of numbers. An imposter is a number that does not fit in with the others in the set based on a certain rule or pattern. This is a fun way to improve your number sense and test your math skills.

Let’s take an example set of numbers: 4, 8, 12, and 20. Which one is the imposter? There can be multiple answers based on different rules:

  • Rule 1: The imposter is 8, as it is the only even number that is not divisible by 4.
  • Rule 2: The imposter is 20, as it is the only number that is not a multiple of 4.
  • Rule 3: The imposter is 12, as it is the only number that is a multiple of 3.

As you can see, there can be multiple answers based on different rules. It’s up to you to decide which rule to follow and which number is the imposter.

Let’s take another example set of numbers: 3, 6, 9, and 11. Which one is the imposter? Again, there can be multiple answers based on different rules:

  • Rule 1: The imposter is 11, as it is the only prime number in the set.
  • Rule 2: The imposter is 9, as it is the only perfect square in the set.
  • Rule 3: The imposter is 6, as it is the only even number in the set.

Here’s a fun activity you can try with your friends or family:

  • Take turns to come up with a set of four numbers and a rule.
  • The other players have to guess the imposter based on the given rule.
  • If they guess it correctly, they get a point.
  • The player with the most points at the end wins.

Here’s an example with shapes:

Consider the following shapes: circle, square, triangle, and rectangle. One could say that the imposter is a circle because it is the only shape that does not have straight sides. Alternatively, one could say that it is a triangle because it is the only shape with fewer than four sides. One could also argue that it is a rectangle because it is the only shape with all angles equal to 90 degrees. Finally, one could argue that it is a square because it is the only shape with all sides and angles equal.

which one is the imposter

We can see multiple definitions but which one would you defend?

Let us consider 9: We can defend by saying 9 is the only number whose sum of its 2 digits is not 7 (1+6=7, 2+5=7)

It would be for 25 because 7+9=17

16 is the one as it is the only even number

When it comes to 7, we could defend it as:

7 is the only prime number

9+16=25 (7 is the odd man out)

7 is the only number that is not a square number

Imposter Set in Mathematics is a fun way to improve your number sense and test your math skills. There can be multiple answers based on different rules, so it’s up to you to decide which rule to follow and which number is the imposter. Try this activity with your friends or family and see who can guess the imposter correctly.

Try it for yourself

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