Slicing pizzas, racing turtles, and further adventures in applied mathematics / Robert B. Banks.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Banks, Robert B.

Series:

Princeton puzzlers.

Princeton puzzlers

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mathematical recreations.

Games in mathematics education.

Puzzles.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (302 p.)

Edition:

Core Textbook

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Have you ever daydreamed about digging a hole to the other side of the world? Robert Banks not only entertains such ideas but, better yet, he supplies the mathematical know-how to turn fantasies into problem-solving adventures. In this sequel to the popular Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes (Princeton, 1998), Banks presents another collection of puzzles for readers interested in sharpening their thinking and mathematical skills. The problems range from the wondrous to the eminently practical. In one chapter, the author helps us determine the total number of people who have lived on earth; in another, he shows how an understanding of mathematical curves can help a thrifty lover, armed with construction paper and scissors, keep expenses down on Valentine's Day. In twenty-six chapters, Banks chooses topics that are fairly easy to analyze using relatively simple mathematics. The phenomena he describes are ones that we encounter in our daily lives or can visualize without much trouble. For example, how do you get the most pizza slices with the least number of cuts? To go from point A to point B in a downpour of rain, should you walk slowly, jog moderately, or run as fast as possible to get least wet? What is the length of the seam on a baseball? If all the ice in the world melted, what would happen to Florida, the Mississippi River, and Niagara Falls? Why do snowflakes have six sides? Covering a broad range of fields, from geography and environmental studies to map- and flag-making, Banks uses basic algebra and geometry to solve problems. If famous scientists have also pondered these questions, the author shares the historical details with the reader. Designed to entertain and to stimulate thinking, this book can be read for sheer personal enjoyment.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Broad Stripes And Bright Stars

2. More Stars, Honey Corn Bs, And Snowflakes

3. Slicing Things Like Pizzas And Watemelons

4. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head And Other Goodies

5. Raindrops And Other Goodies Revisited

6. Wtich Major Rivers Flow Uphill?

7. A Brief Look At W, E, And Some Other Famous Numbers

8. Another Look At Some Famous Numbers

9. Great Number Sequences: Prime, Fibonacci, And Hailstone

10. A Fast Way To Escape

11. How To Get Anywhere In About Forty- Two Minutes

12. How Fast Should You Run In The Rain?

13. Great Turtle Races: Pursuit Curves

14. More Great Turtle Races: Logarithmic Spirals

15. How Many People Have Ever Lived?

16. The Great Explosion Of 2023

17. How To Make Fairly Nice Valentines

18. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

19. Making Mathematical Mountains

20. How To Make Mountains Out Of Molehills

21. Moving Continents From Here To There

22. Cartography: How To Flatten Spheres

23. Growth And Spreading And Mathematical Analogies

24. How Long Is The Seam On A Baseball?

25. Baseball Seams, Pipe Connections, And World Travels

26. Lengths, Areas, And Volumes Of All Kinds Of Shapes

References

Index

Backmatter

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786613589644

9780691102849

0691102848

9781280494413

1280494417

9781400843039

1400843030

OCLC:

794491907