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Martin Gardner's Mathematical Games columns in Scientific American inspired and entertained several generations of mathematicians and scientists. Gardner in his crystal-clear prose illuminated corners of mathematics, especially recreational mathematics, that most people had no idea existed. His playful spirit and inquisitive nature invite the reader into an exploration of beautiful mathematical ideas along with him. These columns were both a revelation and a gift when he wrote them; no one-before Gardner-had written about mathematics like this. They continue to be a marvel. This is the original 1997 edition and contains columns published from 1980-1986.
Of all of Martin Gardners writings, none gained him a wider audience or was more central to his reputation than his Mathematical Recreations column in Scientific American - which virtually defined the genre of popular mathematics writing for a generation. Flatland, Hydras and Eggs: Mathematical Mystifications is the final collection of these columns, covering the period roughly from 1979 to Gardners retirement in 1986. As always in his published collections, Gardner includes letters commenting on the ideas presented in his articles. These columns show him at the top of his form and should not be missed by anyone with an interest in mathematics.
Praised for its "exceptionally good value" by the Journal of Recreational Mathematics, this book offers fun-filled insights into many fields of mathematics. The brainteasers include original puzzles as well as new approaches to classic conundrums. A vast assortment of challenges features domino puzzles, the game of noughts and crosses, games of encirclement, sliding movement puzzles, subtraction games, puzzles in mechanics, games with piles of matches, a road puzzle with concentric circles, "Catch the Giant," and much more. Detailed solutions show several methods by which a particular problem may be answered, why one method is preferable, and where the others fail. With numerous worked examples, the clear, step-by-step analyses cover how the problem should be approached, including hints and enumeration of possibilities and determination of probabilities, application of the theory of probability, and evaluation of contingencies and mean values. Readers are certain to improve their puzzle-solving strategies as well as their mathematical skills.
Number theory proves to be a virtually inexhaustible source of intriguing puzzle problems. Includes divisors, perfect numbers, the congruences of Gauss, scales of notation, the Pell equation, more. Solutions to all problems.
Ranging from ancient Greek and Roman problems to the most modern applications of special mathematical techniques for amusement, this popular volume contains material to delight both beginners and advanced mathematicians. Its 250 lively puzzles, problems, situations, and demonstrations of recreational mathematics feature full solutions and analyses. Fifty-seven highly unusual historic problems are derived from ancient Greek, medieval European, Arabic, and Hindu sources. Other problems are based on "mathematics without numbers," geometry, topology, the calendar, arithmetic, and the mathematics of chess moves. Fifty pages comprise numerical pastimes built out of figurate numbers, Mersenne numbers, Fermat numbers, cyclic numbers, automorphic numbers, and prime numbers; probability problems are also fully analyzed. More than forty pages are devoted to magic squares, and the concluding portion of the book presents more than twenty-five new positional and permutational games of permanent value. A discussion of fairy chess is followed by rules and procedural information on latruncles, go, reversi, jinx, ruma, lasca, tricolor, four-story towers, tetrachrome, and other games. More than a collection of wonderful puzzles, this volume offers a thorough, rigorous, and entertaining sampler of recreational mathematics, highlighted by numerous insights into specialized fields.
Mathematical Recreations and Essays W. W. Rouse Ball For nearly a century, this sparkling classic has provided stimulating hours of entertainment to the mathematically inclined. The problems posed here often involve fundamental mathematical methods and notions, but their chief appeal is their capacity to tease and delight. In these pages you will find scores of "recreations" to amuse you and to challenge your problem-solving faculties-often to the limit. Now in its 13th edition, Mathematical Recreations and Essays has been thoroughly revised and updated over the decades since its first publication in 1892. This latest edition retains all the remarkable character of the original, but the terminology and treatment of some problems have been updated and new material has been added. Among the challenges in store for you: Arithmetical and geometrical recreations; Polyhedra; Chess-board recreations; Magic squares; Map-coloring problems; Unicursal problems; Cryptography and cryptanalysis; Calculating prodigies; ... and more. You'll even find problems which mathematical ingenuity can solve but the computer cannot. No knowledge of calculus or analytic geometry is necessary to enjoy these games and puzzles. With basic mathematical skills and the desire to meet a challenge you can put yourself to the test and win. "A must to add to your mathematics library."-The Mathematics Teacher We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.
The noted expert selects 70 of his favorite "short" puzzles, including such mind-bogglers as The Returning Explorer, The Mutilated Chessboard, Scrambled Box Tops, and dozens more involving logic and basic math. Solutions included.
A collection of math and logic puzzles features number games, magic squares, tricks, problems with dominoes and dice, and cross sums, in addition to other intellectual teasers.
Famed puzzle expert explains math behind a multitude of mystifying tricks: card tricks, stage "mind reading," coin and match tricks, counting out games, geometric dissections, etc. More than 400 tricks. 135 illustrations.
This book studies attitudes toward secular literature during the later Middle Ages. Exploring two related medieval justifications of literary pleasure—one finding hygienic or therapeutic value in entertainment, and another stressing the psychological and ethical rewards of taking time out from work in order to refresh oneself—Glending Olson reveals that, contrary to much recent opinion, many medieval writers and thinkers accepted delight and enjoyment as valid goals of literature without always demanding moral profit as well. Drawing on a vast amount of primary material, including contemporary medical manuscripts and printed texts, Olson discusses theatrics, humanist literary criticism, prologues to romances and fabliaux, and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. He offers an extended examination of the framing story of Boccaccio's Decameron. Although intended principally as a contribution to the history of medieval literary theory and criticism, Literature as Recreation in the Later Middle Ages makes use of medical, psychological, and sociological insights that lead to a fuller understanding of late medieval secular culture.