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Using a micro to solve a brainteaser? That's cheating!

Hardly. You can't just type in a teaser and expect the answer to pop up. In fact, using a micro may take more through than working out the answer with pencil and paper.

Why bother then? Well, to write a successful puzzle-solving program you need a clear insight into how the problem works. There is no place for guesswork - it's logic and reasoning that count. However, once your program is working you can use it to explore other puzzles, and device brainteasers of your own.

Victor Bryant is an experienced compiler of brainteasers. In Microteasers: Exploring the world of brainteasers on your BBC Micro/Electron, he has assembled over 40 popular puzzles, some of which have already baffled readers of the Sunday Times and the New Scientist. Try and solve them for yourself but don't worry if you end up perplexed, the author is always at hand to explain what's going on, and how you can use your BBC Micro or Electron to help you reach an answer.

Primes, patterns, palindromes and Pythagoras are among the many areas that the author explores and explains. For programmers and puzzle addicts alike, Microteasers: Exploring the world of brainteasers on your BBC Micro/Electron will provide many hours of fun and mental stimulation.

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Use a computer to solve a brainteaser? That's cheating!