Archimedes\' Stomach...and Other Puzzles You\'ll Love to Digest

ISBN-13: 9789811269479 / Angielski / Miękka / 2025

Yossi Elran

Opis

This is a classic, recreational math book, along the lines of works of Martin Gardner, Ian Stewart, Raymond Smullyan and more recently, Jason Rosenhouse, Alex Bellos, Matt Parker, Cliff Pickover and many, many more, and is a sequel to the author's previous book Lewis Carroll's Cats and Rats … and Other Puzzles with Interesting Tails. The structure of each chapter will follow the same logic. It will begin with a puzzle the readers are asked to solve. A hint will be given where needed, and the solution will be explained. Then, the history of the puzzle and the math behind it will be explored, often wandering off to 'unchartered' and lesser-known areas. Intertwined there will be biographies of mathematicians along with some of the stories, trivia, quirks and oddities related to the topic at hand. The next section will be about ways to generalize the puzzles. The chapter will end with a recap, bibliography and some more puzzles and solutions connected to the material covered in the chapter.Among other things, we will explore geometry through Archimedes' Ostomachion and Tangram puzzles, discover the connection between math and linguistic through the works of Lewis Carroll, J R R Tolkien and others, be entertained with arithmetic dynamics, learn about Platonic solids, graphs and Hamiltonian and Euler cycles, try our luck with probability puzzles, fathom the math behind mazes, be perplexed by logic puzzles, do some spectacular mathematical feats in our heads and even try to break some secret codes. The book is highly unique as it is written using a 'Talmudic' or associative, methodology where broad areas of math will be explored using puzzles. Secondly, it will explain math concepts in a simple and intuitive way, highlighting the works of numerous famous mathematicians. Thirdly, it will include over 50 puzzles and solutions, many of them original. Furthermore, it will touch on many of the new ideas, explanations and trends in recreational math.This book will have a wide audience, including math-lovers (professional and amateurs), historians, puzzlers, kids and adults. It will also be great for teachers who are looking for new ways to engage kids with math and for anyone who wants to enhance their creative thinking and innovation skills.