Amusing and informative in its approach to solving mathematical bafflers, this treasury of theories, games, puzzles and oddities of all kinds, compiled by one of the world's best card players (Jacoby) and an expert in mathematical recreations (Benson) will delight and fascinate math enthusiasts.
Although primarily intended to entertain, the wide variety of puzzles ― ranging from facile curiosities to very difficult intellectual exercises ― will challenge you to keep your mind going full steam. Each of the book's five sections ― "Fun with Numbers," "Fun with Letters," "The Odds: Explorations in Probability," "Where Inference and Reasoning Reign" and "The Answers Are Whole Numbers" ― is made up of approximately 30 problems, with solutions grouped at the end of each section. Math buffs will love testing their puzzle-solving skills on such challenging brainteasers as The Enterprising Snail, Mrs. Crabbe and the Bacon, The Fly and the Bicycles, The Lovesick Cockroaches, The Three Prisoners, Girls Should Live in Brooklyn, Who Was Executed?, Creaker vs. Roadhog, The Crossed Ladders, The Ancient Order of the Greens, and many more.
Few of these problems require any advanced mathematical knowledge or prowess. You'll find that simply keeping your wits about you and your logical skills honed are all you need to enjoy a delightful and thought-provoking adventure in recreational mathematics. Foreword. 10 illustrations. 14 tables.
1. fun with numbers 1. the enterprising snail 2. bargain day 3. the bright graduate 4. the erudite bookworm 5. mother's little kitchen helper 6. seven loaves of bread 7. average speed 8. the ladder 9. remainder of one 10. how much dirt? 11. ten digits 12. rare flowers 13. chickens 14. send more money! 15. the empty flask 16. mrs. crabbe and the bacon 17. window-washing 18. mr. spendmore 19. time? 20. tires 21. trains 22. prime settlement 23. mixture solutions 2. fun with letters 1. the professor's fish 2. floating down the river 3. one hundred dollars needed 4. what is the product? 5. joe nitwit 6. the fly and the bicycles 7. birds in flight 8. phil anthrope 9. the wire fence 10. my favorite orange 11. candles 12. three drain pipes take-? 13. helen's age is? 14. jack and jill 15. mrs. crabbe and the prunes 16. trust fund 17. what is the first time? 18. round trip from abletown 19. mr. wright and the insurance salesman 20. phillip gibson's children 21. ducks 22. ten-o'clock scholar 23. packing crate 24. trains passing 25. wheat 26. the professor's window 27. as the crow flies 28. courier 29. outboard vs. speedboat solutions 3. the odds: explorations in probability 1. cue's chance 2. transfers 3. the odds are two to one 4. how many left? 5. tennis at lower dropshot 6. face cards 7. the king of hearts 8. birthdays 9. the walk to 15th and m 10. the three prisoners 11. the dictator 12. more tennis at lower dropshot 13. cubes 14. king's town 15. professor of ancient history 16. two spades 17. smithley's problem 18. the odds against smith 19. professor knowsodd's reply 20. opinionated is not satisfied 21. a pair of dice 22. girls should live in brooklyn 23. the three chess players 24. the five balls 25. how many balls? solutions 4. where inference and reasoning reign part 1. inference 1. ho island 2. the island of ha 3. bridge 4. the diners 5. "fur and feather" show" 6. the dine-out club 7. who was executed? 8. literary dinner party 9. bridge at the greens' 10. mr. smith is? 11. the squabble 12. the new member cut in 13. bella's gifts 14. smithley back at ho island 15. bridge on ha island 16. confusing? 17. flowers 18. king arthur 19. outdoors 20. horsemen 21. muddle at mixwell 22. five sons 23. the island of hi 24. david? 25. the island of hu 26. "artichoke, bergamot, and celery" 27. the bank manager is? 28. white and green 29. strange! solutions part 2. reasoning 30. the light coin 31. how often does christmas fall on friday? 32. the lovesick cockroaches 33. chain smoker 34. commuter service 35. beefeater's convention 36. the walking fly 37. chessboard 38. u.s. coins 39. white hats 40. bigdome's park 41. jim and judy 42. jones was early 43. north 44. the prince 45. creaker vs. roadhog 46. chains 47. triangles 48. as the tide rises 49. what time is it? 50. the fresh-air fiend 51. mr. Jones 52. billiard plays? 53. much dithering 54. the back-alley gang 55. the seven housemasters 56. his instructor's age solutions 5. the answers are whole numbers 1. the farmers' market 2. jody and sandra 3. cashier's error 4. the crossed ladders 5. egg money 6. "wendy, sally, and debby" 7. monkey business 8. scholarships 9. birthday cakes 10. which is nearer? 11. muggins 12. mary 13. knights vs. bishops 14. the price went down 15. four brothers and their gin game 16. the ancient order of the greens 17. mrs. overtwenty 18. how many men? 19. seventeen pencils 20. jones' children 21. mrs. quigley 22. the rhind papyrus 23. poppy 24. the graustark cabinet 25. the two cousins 26. professor algebra's garden 27. coconuts 28. a box of chocolates "seventeeners" solutions
