The Colossal Book of Mathematics s t Classic Puzzles Paradoxes ProblemsWhether discussing hexaflexagons or number theory Klein bottles or the essence of nothing Martin Gardner has single handedly created the field of recreational
s t Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes ProblemsWhether discussing hexaflexagons or number theory, Klein bottles or the essence of nothing, Martin Gardner has single handedly created the field of recreational mathematics The Colossal Book of Mathematics collects together Gardner s most popular pieces from his legendary Mathematical Games column, which ran in Scientifis t Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes ProblemsWhether discussing hexaflexagons or number theory, Klein bottles or the essence of nothing, Martin Gardner has single handedly created the field of recreational mathematics The Colossal Book of Mathematics collects together Gardner s most popular pieces from his legendary Mathematical Games column, which ran in Scientific American for twenty five years Gardner s array of absorbing puzzles and mind twisting paradoxes opens mathematics up to the world at large, inspiring people to see past numbers and formulas and experience the application of mathematical principles to the mysterious world around them With articles on topics ranging from simple algebra to the twisting surfaces of Mobius strips, from an endless game of Bulgarian solitaire to the unreachable dream of time travel, this volume comprises a substantial and definitive monument to Gardner s influence on mathematics, science, and culture.In its twelve sections, The Colossal Book of Math explores a wide range of areas, each startlingly illuminated by Gardner s incisive expertise Beginning with seemingly simple topics, Gardner expertly guides us through complicated and wondrous worlds by way of basic algebra we contemplate the mesmerizing, often hilarious, linguistic and numerical possibilities of palindromes using simple geometry, he dissects the principles of symmetry upon which the renowned mathematical artist M C Escher constructs his unique, dizzying universe Gardner, like few thinkers today, melds a rigorous scientific skepticism with a profound artistic and imaginative impulse His stunning exploration of The Church of the Fourth Dimension, for example, bridges the disparate worlds of religion and science by brilliantly imagining the spatial possibility of God s presence in the world as a fourth dimension, at once everywhere and nowhere With boundless wisdom and his trademark wit, Gardner allows the reader to further engage challenging topics like probability and game theory which have plagued clever gamblers, and famous mathematicians, for centuries Whether debunking Pascal s wager with basic probability, making visual music with fractals, or uncoiling a knotted doughnut with introductory topology, Gardner continuously displays his fierce intelligence and gentle humor His articles confront both the comfortingly mundane Generalized Ticktacktoe and Sprouts and Brussel Sprouts and the quakingly abstract Hexaflexagons, Nothing, and Everything He navigates these staggeringly obscure topics with a deft intelligence and, with addendums and suggested reading lists, he informs these classic articles with new insight.Admired by scientists and mathematicians, writers and readers alike, Gardner s vast knowledge and burning curiosity reveal themselves on every page The culmination of a lifelong devotion to the wonders of mathematics, The Colossal Book of Mathematics is the largest and most comprehensive math book ever assembled by Gardner and remains an indispensable volume for the amateur and expert alike.
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The Colossal Book of Mathematics >> Martin Gardner
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Martin Gardner
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Title:
The Colossal Book of Mathematics >> Martin Gardner
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Published :2019-09-26T09:49:14+00:00
Martin Gardner was an American mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature especially the writings of Lewis Carroll , philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion He wrote the Mathematical Games column in Scientific American from 1956 to 1981, and published over 70 books.
891 Replys to “The Colossal Book of Mathematics”
One does not need any math skills to enjoy this rich collection of essays on the history of mathematics, its imprint on philosophy and literature, the art of Escher, fractals, tesseracts, paradoxes, hexaflexagons and many other wonderful things. The perfect desert island book.
Martin Gardner, who passed away in May of this year at the age of 95, probably did the most work of anybody in the area of "recreational mathematics", and making math fun for the masses. Gardner was a prolific scholar and author, writing an abundant amount of material in his lifetime. This is a collection of various topics culled from the most popular pieces of his "Mathematical Games" column which ran in Scientific American magazine for 25 years. It has something for everyone, so even if you ar [...]
Martin Gardner, master of all things puzzling, mathe-magical, and philosophical(read the "whys of a philosophical scrivener") delights me with his finest book. Discover the paradox of intransitive games; where you always lose even though you get to choose your team first.
This is a treasure of recreational mathematics. Fascinating illustrations and Gardner's easy to read prose make this a great read.
An incomparably entertaining collection of Gardner's most interesting mathematical columns. For a casual mathematics lover, I cannot even imagine a more enjoyable book.
I would have rated it higher, but some of the material was a bit dated. Excellent exposition of recreational mathematics.
A wonderful tour of all of mathematics, told in the popular style of Martin Gardner.
one of the best mathematics book Martin Gardner have written
excellent
An eclectic mix of deep insights and triviality; all told engagingly in MG's characteristically light manner. In other words, just the way my generation fondly remembers MG.
Martin Gardner non ha bisogno di presentazione. Però questo libro forse sì. In pratica, assieme al suo compagno <ì>The Colossal Books of Problems, questo volume raccoglie il meglio della sua produzione apparsa nella rubrica "Mathematical Games" dello Scientific American. Chi ha doviziosamente collezionato tutti i suoi libri non trova praticamente nulla di nuovo, se non qualche rara aggiunta di nuovi risultati trovati tra la pubblicazione originaria delle raccolte e il 2001. Ha però il [...]
I've taken it off my Reading shelf because it's the kind of book I'll go back to for the rest of my life. Each chapter opens up new avenues of study and reading the same chapter a few months later awakens even newer interests.Great stuff.
La bibbia della matematica ricreativa. Rubato al mio capo, non credo glielo restituirò mai. In italiano hanno tradotto qualcosa, ma qui c'è tutto quello che avrei sempre potuto desiderare! splendido.
Absolute delight.
Only skimmed it. Has some interesting problems and concepts.
I read this at night sometimes. Not in any particular order. It helps me sleep.
Gardner's math puzzles are very entertaining. I gave up on making my way through the book, it seems more suited to picking up every now and then to find an interesting tidbit.
Endless cornucopia of stimulating ideas!
Very challenging puzzles!
Mind boggling book to have fun with math