Mathematical Puzzles: A Connoisseur's Collection (Paperback)

~ Peter Winkler (Author) "This warm-up chapter contains a variety of puzzles not associated with a particular topic or technique..." (more)
Key Phrases: lonely diners, right napkin, first urn, All Soviet Union Mathematical Competition, Martin Gardner, Princeton University (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is certainly the best collection of challenging mathematical puzzles that has appeared in the last decade. -- Ronald Graham, President, Mathematical Association of America

Product Description

This collection includes more than 100 of the best (and some of the toughest)mathematical puzzles ever to appear in one volume.

You'll need a love for mathematical reasoning and a streak of determination. You won't need a professional acquaintance with mathematics; a motivated high school student has what it takes! If you're up to the challenge, there's even a chapter on Unsolved Puzzles.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 163 pages
• Publisher: AK Peters (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568812019
• ISBN-13: 978-1568812014
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,386 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A puzzler's delight!, April 25, 2004

By	pete "pete" - See all my reviews

Wow, what a splendid collection of varied and challenging puzzles - a puzzler's delight!

I especially liked the "handicap" puzzles - these are new to me, and involve algorithmic puzzles with bizarre handicaps having to do with memory.

The book also has extensive refrences so you can further your interests for a particular type of puzzle. There's even an unsolved puzzles section to challenge even the professional mathematician.

In terms of difficulty level, I would say that 2/3rds of the puzzles are meant for the seasoned puzzler and do require some "mathematical maturity" . But there are quite a few "insight" puzzles that required almost no math.

There's even geography puzzles of all things - that's quite refreshing and original for a math puzzle book.

congrats Dr. Winkler on a splendid collection!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some of the best puzzles ever published. , March 13, 2005

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

I have seen the word connoisseur used to describe collections before, but when I sat down to write this review I realized that I did not know the precise usage of the term. Therefore, I pulled out my Webster's dictionary and looked it up. It was "a person who has expert knowledge and keen discrimination in some field, esp. the fine arts or in matters of taste." In terms of keen discrimination, the term applies to the puzzles in this book. They are some of the best puzzles ever published, although those who follow the field will have seen many before, although perhaps in an altered form.
However, expert knowledge is not required to understand and solve the puzzles. The level of mathematical knowledge is that of detailed knowledge of basic algebraic and reasoning techniques. Like the very best puzzles, solving them requires a bit of "sideways" thinking. In other words, the most obvious approach to a puzzle will most likely lead to bafflement, but if you look at it just the right way, the solution is obvious. Furthermore, once the inspiration arrives, you know that you indeed have the solution.
In all honesty, I struggled with many of these puzzles. Sometimes, I was just being stupid, and other times I doubt if the solution would have ever managed to form in my thoughts. Fortunately, solutions to nearly all of the problems are included. The final chapter contains unsolved puzzles, which seems like a bit of a misnomer, and in a real sense it is. These are really unsolved problems, their topic is just one that fits inside what is generally considered the puzzle genre.
I loved this book, even when I was so frustrated I wanted to chop it with my very sharp axe. These puzzles will stretch you to the breaking point, which is of course a prerequisite for being among the best ever created.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real exercise in logical and creative thought, September 19, 2007

By	calvinnme "Texan refugee" (Fredericksburg, Va) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This book mainly requires that you be at ease with mathematics and mathematical terms on the level of a high school student. The solutions don't involve long calculations and calculus books. They are brain teasers that often require out-of-the-box thought and creativity. They are excellent for computer science students studying the theory of algorithms, because often the same thought process that goes into solving the more difficult problems in that field are applicable to the puzzles in this book. The puzzles can be very difficult, and several were without solution for a very long time. There is also a group of Unsolved Puzzles at the end of the book.