Madachy's Mathematical Recreations [Paperback]

Joseph S. Madachy (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (May 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486237621
• ISBN-13: 978-0486237626
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,425,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The pleasure of mathematics as a hobby, July 7, 2000

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Madachy's Mathematical Recreations (Paperback)

Recreational mathematics nay be a misnomer to some, but to practitioners, it is an addiction. Whether it be creating new puzzles or solving those made by others, the thrill of the chase and the pride in solution make it an interesting and exciting hobby. A precise definition of recreational mathematics is impossible, often being a matter of personal taste. However, there are some areas that definitely satisfy the criteria, and in this book, Joseph Madachy, the longtime editor of Journal of Recreational Mathematics describes them and gives some example problems. Many of these topics have been around for centuries without losing any of their charm.
The logic puzzle is very old, with the riddle of the sphinx being a part of Greek mythology. Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, has been around for centuries. Although the folding of paper to make new designs is covered in this book, origami as it is normally defined, is not. The most famous commentator on magic squares is none other than Benjamin Franklin, the original American polymath. The properties of numbers have been used as a point of mysticism and religion from the time of the ancient Greeks. Although Madachy clearly has a great deal of respect for numbers, he never descends into the farce of numerology. Alphametics, or the expression of an arithmetic expression as a collection of words, is a popular form of problem and can be used as a source of problems for courses in beginning algebra.
Problems and puzzles, whether they be crossword, word search, character shifting or encryption codes, are very popular, appearing regularly in most newspapers and magazines. Which verifies the enormous human capacity and interest in exercising our brains. In this book, there are many problems, all solved, that will generate an increase in the activity and efficiency of your cerebral neurons.