Magical mathematics : the mathematical ideas that animate great magic tricks / Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham ; with a foreword by Martin Gardner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Diaconis, Persi.

Contributor:

Graham, Ron, 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Card tricks--Mathematics.

Card tricks.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (259 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of amazing, fun-to-perform card tricks--and the profound mathematical ideas behind them--that will astound even the most accomplished magician. Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham provide easy, step-by-step instructions for each trick, explaining how to set up the effect and offering tips on what to say and do while performing it. Each card trick introduces a new mathematical idea, and varying the tricks in turn takes readers to the very threshold of today's mathematical knowledge. For example, the Gilbreath principle--a fantastic effect where the cards remain in control despite being shuffled--is found to share an intimate connection with the Mandelbrot set. Other card tricks link to the mathematical secrets of combinatorics, graph theory, number theory, topology, the Riemann hypothesis, and even Fermat's last theorem. Diaconis and Graham are mathematicians as well as skilled performers with decades of professional experience between them. In this book they share a wealth of conjuring lore, including some closely guarded secrets of legendary magicians. Magical Mathematics covers the mathematics of juggling and shows how the I Ching connects to the history of probability and magic tricks both old and new. It tells the stories--and reveals the best tricks--of the eccentric and brilliant inventors of mathematical magic. Magical Mathematics exposes old gambling secrets through the mathematics of shuffling cards, explains the classic street-gambling scam of three-card monte, traces the history of mathematical magic back to the thirteenth century and the oldest mathematical trick--and much more"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1. Mathematics in the Air

Chapter 2. In cycles

Chapter 3. Is This Stuff Actually Good for Anything?

Chapter 4. Universal Cycles

Chapter 5. From the Gilbreath Principle to the Mandelbrot Set

Chapter 6. Neat Shuffles

Chapter 7. The Oldest Mathematical Entertainment?

Chapter 8. Magic in the Book of Changes

Chapter 9. What Goes Up Must Come Down

Chapter 10. Stars of Mathematical Magic (And some of the best tricks in the book)

Chapter 11. Going Further

Chapter 12. On Secrets

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613256041

9781283256049

1283256045

9781400839384

1400839386

OCLC:

757399673