Name: The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems
Price: 654.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock
Author: Martin Gardner
ISBN: 9780393061147

portada The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems

The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems

Type

Physical Book

Author

Martin Gardner

Illustrated by

Dana Richards

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Year

2005

Language

English

Pages

494

Format

Hardcover

Dimensions

24.9 x 17.9 x 3.2 cm

Weight

0.96

ISBN

0393061140

ISBN13

9780393061147

Synopsis "The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems"

For more than twenty-five years, Martin Gardner was Scientific American's renowned provocateur of popular math. His yearly gatherings of short and inventive problems were easily his most anticipated math columns. Loyal readers would savor the wit and elegance of his explorations in physics, probability, topology, and chess, among others. Grouped by subject and arrayed from easiest to hardest, the puzzles gathered here, which complement the lengthier, more involved problems in The Colossal Book of Mathematics, have been selected by Gardner for their illuminating; and often bewildering; solutions. Filled with over 300 illustrations, this new volume even contains nine new mathematical gems that Gardner, now ninety, has been gathering for the last decade. No amateur or expert math lover should be without this indispensable volume; a capstone to Gardner's seventy-year career.

Martin Gardner

(Author)

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.

See less