The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco (Dover Recreational Math) [Paperback]

Dennis Shasha (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0486296156 | ISBN-13: 978-0486296159

Dr. Ecco is a mathematical detective and puzzle solver. In this book readers are invited to join him in solving nearly 40 puzzles inspired by methods in computer science and mathematics, including The Tower of Lego, the Odd Doors Problem, Spies and Double Agents, Gossiping Defenders, Code Breaking, and many more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (July 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486296156
• ISBN-13: 978-0486296159
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #994,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Ecco --- A Mathematical Version of Sherlock Holmes, January 27, 2001

By 

Andy Liu (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco (Dover Recreational Math) (Paperback)

When this book first came out from W. H. Freeman, I could not contain my excitement. I had been trying to intoduce a course in matheamtics that would have a broad appeal. With a very few exceptions, university students take mathematics courses because they are told to do so, and will leave the subject behind as soon as the minimum requirement is meet. I wanted students to have a chance to explore mathematics, but was hard pressed to put together a functional package.

"The Puzzling Adventure of Dr. Ecco" was an answer to my prayers. Discrete mathematics is an ideal introductio to the borader realm of the whole subject since it requires very little technical background, and there is the additional attraction in being related to computing science. However, there was considerable opposition to the introduction of such a course, and it was not until five years later that it became a pilot project. Dennis' credibility as a serious researcher helped tremendously in the final push.

Once the course got going, there was no stoppig it.Enrollment went up from 24 in the initial year to over 150 at present, while the course is still the only one not required by any program. It draws students from diverse background, from the Faculties of Science, Education, Arts, Business, Engineering and Pharmocology.

Much of the success of the course is due to the top quality of the book. The problems are well chosen, with a variety of topics as well as levels of difficulty. However, it is how each problem is treated that brings out how much thought has gone into the writing.

I will give one example, the problem of transporting oil from Houston to Moscow. The theoretical foundation is the Maxi-Flow Mini-Cut Theorem, which provides an algorithm to compute the maximal flow. Usuaully, students ignore the minimum cut altogether because the theorem guarantees that the flow they find will be maximal. Here, Dr. Ecco is asked where additional planes should be added. If none is added to the routes that constitute the minimal cut, they will be wasted. Thus the companion idea of the minimal cut is clearly brought back to center stage.

The book is written with a great sense of humour, with much commentary on comtemporary society. It has been said that from the many volumes of detective fictions Agatha Christie had written, future social scientists could find invaluable data. This book reflects the thinking of one segment of the intelligentia at the time.

As a final note, the University of Alberta has published a companion volume titled "Professor Scarlet's Notebook", which serves as a background textbook but specifically tailored for use with Dr. Ecco. It is available for US$10 from:

Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G2G1, Canada.

Andy Liu, 1998 Canadian University Professor of the Year, and 3M Teaching Fellow.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fun with puzzles, January 12, 2003

By 

Ana Maria (CT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco (Dover Recreational Math) (Paperback)

I bought The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco just before going on vacation, and was hooked before the plane took off. It is the perfect book for puzzle-lovers, including a broad range of topics across many levels of difficulty. My husband and I sat long after our lunches had been cleared on several occasions, working them out together. The author's humor and imagination in creating his characters adds to the delight of having one's brain teased (and then satisfied -- the solutions are in the back). Buy this book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Combination of Puzzles and Operations Research, March 16, 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: The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco (Dover Recreational Math) (Paperback)

This walk on the puzzle side of life is a joyous jaunt through mathematics. The fictional Dr. Ecco, a dedicated omniheurist or puzzle solver, devotes his life to resolving the difficulties of others. The majority of the problems are in applied mathematics, and are typical of the real world. Professor Scarlet provides the narration and his serving as a foil to Dr. Ecco has much in common with the partnership of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes.

The topics include coding, the flow of goods through transit points, production bottlenecks, road and mass transit construction, information transfer and conducting elections. Detailed solutions to all problems are given at the end of the book. The majority can be solved using only cleverness, although a mathematical background is certainly helpful.

Superbly narrated and with a tight grasp on life, this book is an existence proof of the premise that learning mathematics can be fun. An excellent supplemental text for any course that involves problems in operations research.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission