Name _____________________

WORDs
Use the following rules to change each word (each string of letters) into the other.
Next to each step, write down which rule you use.
1) Any letter can change into an A.
2) Two Cs in a row can turn into a B.
3) Any word can be doubled.

(1)

(2)

(3)

C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
ACAC

B
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
ABAB

C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
B

(4)

(5)

(6)

B
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
BABA

CB
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
AACB

C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CBA

(7)

(8)

(9)

CAC
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CAAAC

CAC
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CAAC

C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
BACABC

(10)
C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
AACB

(11)
CBC
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
ABAABC

(12)
CDCC
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CDABAB

Compose three problems of your own below.

_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

What do you find appealing or unappealing about this mathematical structure?

Think up three rules that we could add as Rule #4 and write these below. Pick one and
give an argument as to why this would be a good addition to the system.

Name _____________________
WORDs
Use the following rules to change each word (each string of letters) into the other.
Write the number of the rule you use next to each step.
1) Any letter can change into an A.
2) Two Cs in a row can turn into a B.
3) Any word can be doubled.

(Louis)
B
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CC

(Phineas)
CAC
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CCAAAAAACC

(Max)
C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
BCABBC

(Lily)

(Oliver)

(Nadia)

CCB
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
BBACBBBACB

O
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
AAAA

A
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CC

(Tucker)

(Laila)

(Nina)

C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CBACBCA

BA
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
BAA

C
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
BXAC
For Ninas:
4) Four Cs can turn into an X.

Created by ______________!
Name _____________________
Use the following rules to change each word (each string of letters) into the other.
1) Any letter can change into an A.
2) Two Cs in a row can turn into a B.
3) Any word can be doubled.
4)

(1)

(2)

(3)

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

(4)

(5)

(6)

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

Name _____________________
WORDs Switcheroo!
Use the following rules to change each word (each string of letters) into the other.
1) Neighboring letters can switch places. MATH  MTAH
2) The first and last letters of a word can switch places. GLAD  DLAG

(1)
ARM
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
RAM

(2)
BALM
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
LAMB

(3)
LUMP
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
PLUM

(4)
CAUSE
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
SAUCE

(5)
TRACE
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
CATER

(6)
SHOTGUN
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
GUNSHOT

Can you come up with a problem of you own on the back?

Name _____________________
WORDs #4

A NEW SYSYEM
Use the following rules to change each word (each string of letters) into the other.
1) If the string ends in I, you can add a U onto the end. MUUIMUUIU
2) The string Msomething can become Msomethingsomething. MIIUMIIUIIU
3) III can change into U. MUIIIMUU
4) Any UU can be eliminated. MIIUUIMIII
(1)
MI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MIUIU

(2)
MUUI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MII

(3)
MI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MUI

(4)

(5)

(6)

M
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MIU

MI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MIUUI

MUUI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MIUIU

(7)

(8)

(9)

MI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MU

MUUI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MIUU

MUUI
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
MIIIUII

On the back, describe three ways that this system is different from our original ABC system.