Using proven techniques, this volume shows how to add, subtract, multiply and divide faster than is possible with a calculator or pencil and paper, and helps readers conquer their nervousness about math.
Using proven techniques, this volume shows how to add, subtract, multiply and divide faster than is possible with a calculator or pencil and paper, and helps readers conquer their nervousness about math.
Mild-mannered suburban mom Riva Konneva is more than she seems. Riva, a warrior woman from an alternate reality, has come to the planet of the pen-pushers to give her daughter the kind of education that she never had back home. It meant that she had to learn a whole new way of fighting, with paper rather than with the weapons to which she was accustomed. The pen, as they say, is mightier than the sword. On the other hand, there are times - especially when old enemies arrive out of nowhere, intent on slaughtering one's children - when paper alone just won't do the job...
A collection of stories follows the conquests of a band of warrior women, and includes the writings of Esther Friesner, Elizabeth Moon, Jody Lynn Nye, Harry Turtledove, and Margaret Ball.
Sir Tzyphyr is no ordinary Wizard—he knows mathemagic, the spell of numbers. It gives him a power greater than ordinary magic ever could. With him, the twins Megha and Mehul set off on a series of adventures to explore the fascinating world of numbers. They learn how numbers are used to measure, count and set things in order.
'This delightful book connects mathematical concepts in a dozen areas to magic tricks. Expositions of the mathematics precede description and analysis of the tricks. The expositions are too short for in-depth learning; the intent is to give sophomores a taste of the content and ideas of later mathematics courses. Each chapter features exercises on the mathematics, and students can have fun practicing the tricks.'Mathematics MagazineTeixeira and Park present over 60 different magic tricks while introducing students to high-level math areas. Readers will learn really interesting ideas that will better prepare them for future courses and help them finding areas they might want to study deeper. And as a 'side effect' students will learn amazing magic tricks, century-old secrets, and details from famous magicians and mathematicians.The material was written to quickly present key concepts in several mathematical areas in direct way. Little or no proficiency in math is assumed. In fact, students do not require any Calculus knowledge. And since chapters are almost independent from each other, this book also work as introduction to several other courses.Topics covered include mathematical proofs, probability, abstract algebra, linear algebra, mathematical computing, number theory, coding theory, geometry, topology, real analysis, numerical analysis and history of math.
"Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of amazing, fun-to-perform card tricks--and the profound mathematical ideas behind them--that will astound even the most accomplished magician. Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham provide easy, step-by-step instructions for each trick, explaining how to set up the effect and offering tips on what to say and do while performing it. Each card trick introduces a new mathematical idea, and varying the tricks in turn takes readers to the very threshold of today's mathematical knowledge. For example, the Gilbreath principle--a fantastic effect where the cards remain in control despite being shuffled--is found to share an intimate connection with the Mandelbrot set. Other card tricks link to the mathematical secrets of combinatorics, graph theory, number theory, topology, the Riemann hypothesis, and even Fermat's last theorem. Diaconis and Graham are mathematicians as well as skilled performers with decades of professional experience between them. In this book they share a wealth of conjuring lore, including some closely guarded secrets of legendary magicians. Magical Mathematics covers the mathematics of juggling and shows how the I Ching connects to the history of probability and magic tricks both old and new. It tells the stories--and reveals the best tricks--of the eccentric and brilliant inventors of mathematical magic. Magical Mathematics exposes old gambling secrets through the mathematics of shuffling cards, explains the classic street-gambling scam of three-card monte, traces the history of mathematical magic back to the thirteenth century and the oldest mathematical trick--and much more"-