Hexaflexagons, Probability Paradoxes, and the Tower of Hanoi: Martin Gardner's First Book of Mathematical Puzzles and Games (The New Martin Gardner Mathematical Library) |  | Author: Martin Gardner
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
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Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 63382
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 208
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5
ISBN: 0521735254
Dewey Decimal Number: 793.74
EAN: 9780521735254
ASIN: 0521735254
Publication Date: September 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Hexaflexagons, Probability Paradoxes, and the Tower of Hanoi is the inaugural volume in The New Martin Gardner Mathematical Library series. Based off of Gardener's enormously popular Scientific American columns, his puzzles and challenges can now fascinate a whole new generation! Paradoxes and paper-folding, Moebius variations and mnemonics, fallacies, magic square, topological curiosities, parlor tricks, and games ancient and modern, from Polyminoes, Nim, Hex, and the Tower of Hanoi to four-dimensional ticktacktoe. These mathematical recreations, clearly and cleverly presented by Martin Gardner, delight and perplex while demonstrating principles of logic, probability, geometry, and other fields of mathematics. Now the author, in consultation with experts, has added updates to all the chapters, including new game variations, mathematical proofs, and other developments and discoveries.
Book Description
This book of the earliest of Gardner's enormously popular Scientific American columns and puzzles continues to challenge and fascinate readers. Now the author, in consultation with experts, has added updates to all the chapters, including new game variations, mathematical proofs, and other developments and discoveries.
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| Customer Reviews:
The master of math writing just being a master October 24, 2009
Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Even though I have read so much of Martin Gardner's writing as well as many books in recreational mathematics by other authors, I never get tired of the work of the master. His ability to express mathematical concepts in simple, understandable form has done more to promote mathematics than millions of dollars in educational appropriations.
In this book 16 of his "Scientific American" columns are reprinted with postscript material that describes what has happened since the initial publication. The column titles are:
*) Hexaflexagons
*) Magic with a matrix
*) Nine problems
*) Ticktacktoe
*) Probability paradoxes
*) The Icosian game and the tower of Hanoi
*) Curious topological models
*) The game of hex
*) Sam Loyd: America's greatest puzzlist
*) Mathematical card tricks
*) Memorizing numbers
*) Nine more problems
*) Polyominoes
*) Fallacies
*) Nim and Tax Tix
*) Left or right?
Gardner himself downplays his mathematical ability, arguing that he is "strictly a journalist." Which is about the only piece of unintentional nonsense he has ever written. Gardner will go down in history as one of the most significant mathematicians of all time and the combination of the gems in this collection is an airtight proof of that fact.
Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.
This Book Changed My Life October 8, 2009
David Bryant
I ran across the first incarnation of this book, "The Scientific American Book of Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions," in 1971. (Originally published in 1959.) Up until then I'd assumed that mathematics was just the excruciatingly dull pile of dusty numbers and theorems I slogged through every afternoon in algebra class. Suddenly I was exposed to an exciting new world of rubber coffee cups and folded strips of paper exhibiting very bizarre properties indeed.
I'm a highly-skilled computer programmer and consultant now. I owe my career to the logic skills I honed on Martin Gardner's books. I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you enjoy having a brain, read these books.
Recreational Mathematics at its Best! August 19, 2009
Cara McNamee (Santa Barbara, CA)
Martin Gardner is brilliant! This book has something for everyone - even those not so mathematically inclined :)
Math fun October 12, 2008
J. Skywatcher (Central Georgia, USA)
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
I really like this book. Recreational mathematics is a lot more fun than most people realize! Every book by Martin Gardner is good!
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