"The Magic of Math is the math book you wish you had in school. Using a delightful assortment of examples--from ice cream scoops and poker hands to measuring mountains and making magic squares--this book empowers you to see the beauty, simplicity, and truly magical properties behind those formulas and equations that once left your head spinning. You'll learn the key ideas of classic areas of mathematics like arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, but you'll also have fun fooling around with Fibonacci numbers, investigating infinity, and marveling over mathematical magic tricks that will make you look like a math genius!"--
"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"-
Looks at how numbers actually work, and teaches addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in a new way that makes everyday math simple to understand
Famed puzzle expert explains math behind a multitude of mystifying tricks: card tricks, stage "mind reading," coin and match tricks, counting out games, geometric dissections, etc. More than 400 tricks. 135 illustrations.
The world's greatest mental mathematical magician takes us on a spellbinding journey through the wonders of numbers (and more) "Arthur Benjamin . . . joyfully shows you how to make nature's numbers dance." -- Bill Nye (the science guy) The Magic of Math is the math book you wish you had in school. Using a delightful assortment of examples-from ice-cream scoops and poker hands to measuring mountains and making magic squares-this book revels in key mathematical fields including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus, plus Fibonacci numbers, infinity, and, of course, mathematical magic tricks. Known throughout the world as the "mathemagician," Arthur Benjamin mixes mathematics and magic to make the subject fun, attractive, and easy to understand for math fan and math-phobic alike. "A positively joyful exploration of mathematics." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Each [trick] is more dazzling than the last." -- Physics World
Stimulating treasury of entertaining tricks, stunts, and magical effects based on such mathematical principles and ideas as magic squares, the Fibonacci Series, Moebius strips, cycloids, topology, and more. Only simple props required: from playing cards and matches to coins. No magic or mathematical skills needed.
A meditation on the beauty and meaning of numbers, exploring mathematical equations, describing some of the mathematical discoveries of the past millennia, and pondering philosophical questions about the relation of numbers to the universe.
A magician appears able to banish chaos at will: a deck of cards arranged in order is shuffled--apparently randomly--by a member of the audience. Then, hey presto! The deck is suddenly put back in its original order! Magic tricks like this are easy to perform and have an interesting mathematical foundation. In this rich, colorfully illustrated volume, Ehrhard Behrends presents around 30 card tricks and number games that are easy to learn, with no prior knowledge required. This is math as you've never experienced it before: entertaining and fun!
A story book for all ages to experience mathematics, problems solving, and the rewards that come with perseverance."Long ago in the land of China, there were many rain storms ... and the land of China was slowly sinking into the sea. This is the story of how a wise emperor, an observant girl, and a magic turtle saved the villages of China from the great flood." So begins the story of Ying and the Magic Turtle. Children ages 5 and up, parents, and teachers can enjoy the book for its rich beauty in mathematics and as an ancient legend. It is the kind of story to revisit over and over again.This book is perhaps best experienced with someone, as a read-aloud or read-together. When reading, we learn of Ying's trouble, and we root for her to find her solution. We find ourselves drawn into the life problems that Ying is facing, but also drawn into the inherent mathematics of the story. It is through the beauty of the pattern of the dots on the turtle's shell that the solution is finally found and the land is saved.We can appreciate each scene as we read, and then pause and predict what might come next. We can play with the mathematics, solving right alongside Ying. We can delve deeper into the power of magic squares by working with puzzles presented at the end of the story. There are unsolved problems in number theory even a young child can try, such as finding all the possible magic squares of a given size.