Mathematical Puzzles: A Connoisseur's Collection

by Peter Winkler

Overview

Collected over several years by Peter Winkler, of Bell Labs, dozens of elegant, intriguing challenges are presented in Mathematical Puzzles. The answers are easy to explain, but without this book, devilishly hard to find. Creative reasoning is the key to these puzzles. No involved computation or higher mathematics is necessary, but your ability to construct a mathematical proof will be severly tested—even if you are a professional mathematician. For the truly adventurous, there is even a chapter on unsolved puzzles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781568812014
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/26/2003
Series:	AK Peters/CRC Recreational Mathematics Series
Pages:	178
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Preface, Insight, Numbers, Combinatorics, Probability, Geometry, Geography(!), Games, Algorithms, More Games, Handicaps, Toughies, Unsolved Puzzles, Afterword, Index of Puzzles

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

" Winkler's book will certainly appeal to the mathematician, as well as to students of all ages—high-school, college, and graduate. His philosophy of what constitutes a good puzzle is right on the mark, showing that this Connoisseur's Collection really is of quality and depth. -James Tanton, MAA Online, September 2004

"I have gained great satisfaction from those [puzzles] I've managed to solve . . . This is a great collection of seriously hard questions." -The Mathematical Gazette, March 2006

"As an enthusiastic solver and collector of mathematical puzzles myself, I was absolutely delighted with this book. The sheer density of mathematical ideas and challenges sets it apart from other books of a similar nature while the lucid yet informal style of exposition makes the journey from ignorance to enlightenment enjoyable." -Norman Do, The Australian Mathematical Society Gazette, July 2004"

Editorial Reviews

"Winkler's book will certainly appeal to the mathematician, as well as to students of all ages—high-school, college, and graduate. His philosophy of what constitutes a good puzzle is right on the mark, showing that this Connoisseur's Collection really is of quality and depth. -James Tanton, MAA Online, September 2004
"I have gained great satisfaction from those [puzzles] I've managed to solve . . . This is a great collection of seriously hard questions." -The Mathematical Gazette, March 2006
"As an enthusiastic solver and collector of mathematical puzzles myself, I was absolutely delighted with this book. The sheer density of mathematical ideas and challenges sets it apart from other books of a similar nature while the lucid yet informal style of exposition makes the journey from ignorance to enlightenment enjoyable." -Norman Do, The Australian Mathematical Society Gazette, July 2004

From the Publisher