THE COUNTINGBURY TALES
Fun with Mathematics
by Miguel de Guzmán (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain)
Games and beauty are found in the origin of a major part of mathematics. If mathematicians throughout history have had such a good time playing and contemplating their games and their science, why not try to learn mathematics and pass it on through games and beauty?
That is the fundamental idea which underlies the stories and games presented in this book. You will be surprised and enticed by the interesting concepts and the novelty of the book. The author has intended that you apply to it the same playful spirit with which he has written it. In fact, if you open the book, you will soon find that certain mathematical developments that may seem at first sight rather imposing can be presented in a way that anybody can understand and contemplate with pleasure. They may even act like a bridge in finding the same pleasure in other mathematical endeavors that may look more serious and complicated but, if we look carefully, display basically the same playful spirit.
Contents:
- The Mathematics of a Sandwich
- Nim
- The Bridges of
Königsberg
- "Solitaire" Confinement
- The Mathematician as a Naturalist
- Four Colors are Enough
- Leap Frog
- Abridged Chess
- The Secret of the Oval Room
Readership: General.
"... this is a nice book for 'armchair-reading' which may be recommended to non-mathematicians who are not afraid to play with mathematics."
'... one idea which I found novel and attractive occurs in the chapter on solitaire.'
| 132pp |
Pub. date: Jan 2000 |
