What are numerical palindromes?

A numerical palindrome is a number that reads the same forwards and backwards, just like how your reflection looks the same whether you're facing the mirror or not.

Imagine you have a toy train with numbered cars: 12321. If you look at it from the front, it's 1-2-3-2-1. Now turn the train around, still 1-2-3-2-1! That’s what makes it special. This kind of number is a numerical palindrome.

You can check if a number is a palindrome by reading it from both ends. If it looks the same, then you've found one!

For example:

• 121: Flip it, still 121.
• 12321: Flip it, still 12321.
• But 123: Flip it, becomes 321. Not a match.

These numbers show up in many places, like clocks or phone numbers. Sometimes people play games with them, trying to find the longest numerical palindrome they can think of. Just like how you might look for patterns in your favorite picture book, only with numbers!