The Tome of Secrets: A Critical Line Puzzle

Welcome back, puzzlers and problem-solvers! The Critical Line makes its long-awaited return — this time brought to you by the Young Actuaries Program (YAP).

Our resident puzzler has returned from their extended expedition to an ancient library, where hidden knowledge lies not in words, but in colours and numbers.

Your puzzle

While exploring a forgotten chamber, James stumbled upon a hefty tome. It is said to contain numbers that its creator considered “special”, but all he found were pages filled with grids of coloured tiles. On the very last page, there is a final grid that is incomplete, though thankfully, a mysterious note left by the author offers a clue.

Count not the shade but how oft it appears; each of five colours numbered by its peers. Pure, indivisible, refusing to split; the numbers you find prove the pattern is fit.

Think you can crack the code?

Submit your restored grid to [email protected] by Wednesday, 24 September. Include whether you want your name or an alias to be published alongside the solution if you’re in the first 25 solvers. This time, a randomly selected correct answer from the first 25 solvers (named or not) will win a $50 voucher!

Revealing the solution

On Friday 26 September, we’ll reveal the solution and explain the logic behind the restored grid. Stay tuned to see if your detective work paid off!

Competition is open to members of the Institute only.