Hexaflexagons, Probability Paradoxes, and the Tower of Hanoi: Martin Gardner's First Book of Mathematical Puzzles and Games

by Martin Gardner

• ISBN13: 9780521735254
• ISBN10: 0521735254
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-08
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Paradoxes and paper-folding, Moebius variations and mnemonics, fallacies, magic squares, topological curiosities, parlor tricks, and games ancient and modern, from Polyominoes, 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. Hexaflexagons, Probability Paradoxes, and the Tower of Hanoi is the inaugural volume in Martin Gardner's New Mathematical Library. 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.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. viii
Introduction to the First Edition	p. ix
Preface to the Second Edition	p. xiii
Hexaflexagons	p. 1
Magic with a Matrix	p. 16
Nine Problems	p. 24
Ticktacktoe	p. 37
Probability Paradoxes	p. 48
The Icosian Game and the Tower of Hanoi	p. 63
Curious Topological Models	p. 73
The Game of Hex	p. 82
Sam Loyd: America's Greatest Puzzlist	p. 94
Mathematical Card Tricks	p. 109
Memorizing Numbers	p. 115
Nine More Problems	p. 123
Polyominoes	p. 137
Fallacies	p. 157
Nim and Tac Tix	p. 166
Left or Right?	p. 177
Index	p. 189
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