Flexagons Inside Out [Paperback]

Les Pook (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521525748 | ISBN-13: 978-0521525749 | Publication Date: September 15, 2003

Flexagons, paper models that can be bent in different ways to change their shape, are easy to make and work in surprising ways. This book contains numerous diagrams that the reader can photocopy and use to construct a variety of fascinating flexagons. The author also explains the mathematics behind these amazing creations. Although knowledge of the technical details requires a mathematical background, the models can be made and used by anyone. Flexagons appeals to all readers interested in puzzles and recreational mathematics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Flexagons Inside Out is a thorough and comprehensible work on the mathematical structure of flexagons...The author intended the material in this book to be at the recreational mathematics level, and he certainly succeeds in his goal. There is ample mathematical content to satisfy readers at nearly any level, however Pook also keeps the text readable and easy to follow."
Math Horizons

"The most extensive and thorough study of flexagons available." Mathematical Association of America, Robert McGuigan

Book Description

Flexagons are paper models that can be flexed in different ways to change their shape. They are easy to make and work in surprising ways. This book contains numerous diagrams that the reader can photocopy and use to constuct a variety of fascinating flexagons. Alongside this, the author also explains the mathematics behind these amazing creations. The technical details would require a mathematical background but the models can be made and used by anyone. Flexagons bring maths to life and will appeal to anyone interested in puzzles or recreational maths.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521525748
• ISBN-13: 978-0521525749
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,540,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paper folding fun unlike anything else, December 6, 2003

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flexagons Inside Out (Paperback)

Flexagons are hinged polygons made of paper or some other easily bent substance that displays different faces when they are flexed. While geometric figures have been around for thousands of years, the first recorded use of the flexagon was the hexaflexagon, invented by Arthur H. Stone at Princeton in 1939. The name was derived from the hexagonal shape of the pieces and the fact that it flexes. Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman was one of the first people to work with flexagons and the diagrams he created to describe them were later modified into his famous Feynman diagrams that represent events in subatomic physics.
There is a mathematical theory of flexagons, but in this book, the focus is on the description of the many species of flexagons that can be constructed. Diagrams that can be copied, cut and then folded into the appropriate shape are very numerous. Detailed instructions using a sequential notation are also included, which I found a necessity. I did not try to construct all of the flexagons, which would have taken weeks, but those that I did build were really cool. It is fascinating to fold the paper, move it around and then see what appears. The results are not always what you expect. In some cases, you can use rigid paper, but for most of them, it is better to use very flexible paper, as it is often necessary to bend the edges to get the desired shape.
No previous knowledge of mathematics or geometry is necessary, although if you are unaccustomed to mathematical notation, the instructions may be a bit difficult at first. I plan on showing the book to the leader of my daughter's girls scout troop, as these structures are ideal activities for children. Easy to do, yet mind-stretching, flexagons can keep you busy for hours and then suddenly show you an unexpected result.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTIONS, October 13, 2004

By 

William Meisel (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flexagons Inside Out (Paperback)

given in this book for constructing the flexagons. They are minimal at best. I have had this problem with origami books, too. So, I recommend a prospective buyer look at the book before buying to make sure he or she can understand the directions; what is the value of the book if you can't actually construct the flexagons and play with them?