Name: Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks
Price: 28.25 EUR
Availability: InStock
Author: Martin Gardner
ISBN: 9780691169774

portada Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks

Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks

Type

Physical Book

Author

Ron Graham

Persi Diaconis

Preface by

Martin Gardner

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Language

English

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

23.9 x 21.3 x 1.5 cm

Weight

0.64 kg.

ISBN13

9780691169774

Synopsis "Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks"

The mathematics behind some of the world's most amazing card tricks Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of 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. Diaconis and Graham tell the stories--and reveal the best tricks--of the eccentric and brilliant inventors of mathematical magic. The book 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 oldest mathematical trick--and much more.

Martin Gardner

(Preface by)

View Author's Page

Martin Gardner (1914–2010) was an influential American science communicator and writer, known for popularizing recreational mathematics and promoting critical thinking. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy, and after the war, he worked as a freelance writer and editor.

His most notable legacy is his monthly column "Mathematical Games" in Scientific American, which he wrote for 25 years (1956–1981). Through this column, Gardner introduced the public to complex mathematical concepts through games, puzzles, and paradoxes, making accessible topics such as fractals, game theory, and cryptography. His clear and engaging style inspired generations of mathematicians and scientists.

In addition to his work in mathematics, Gardner was a critic of pseudoscience and irrational thinking. He wrote extensively on topics such as astrology, UFOs, and homeopathy, promoting skepticism and the scientific method.

Throughout his life, Gardner published more than 70 books, including works on magic, philosophy, and literature. His influence endures in the scientific community and in popular culture, being admired by figures like Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, and Douglas Hofstadter.

To commemorate his centenary, the University of Barcelona organized a virtual exhibition highlighting his contribution to the dissemination of mathematical and scientific knowledge.

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