Sphere Packing, Lewis Carroll, and Reversi: Martin Gardner's New Mathematical Diversions [Hardcover]

The latest on packing spheres, Reversi, braids, polyominoes, board games, digits of pi, and the puzzles of Lewis Carroll.Martin Gardner returns to charm readers with the latest on packing spheres, Reversi, braids, polyominoes, board games, and the puzzles of Lewis Carroll. Read about Knuths Word Ladders program, new ways of finding the digits of pi, and much much more.Martin Gardner returns to charm readers with the latest on packing spheres, Reversi, braids, polyominoes, board games, and the puzzles of Lewis Carroll. Read about Knuths Word Ladders program, new ways of finding the digits of pi, and much much more.Packing spheres, Reversi, braids, polyominoes, board games, and the puzzles of Lewis Carroll. These and other mathematical diversions return to readers with updates to all the chapters, including new game variations, mathematical proofs, and other developments and discoveries. Read about Knuths Word Ladders program and the latest developments in the digits of pi. Once again these timeless puzzles will charm readers while demonstrating principles of logic, probability, geometry, and other fields of mathematics.1. The binary system; 2. Group theory and braids; 3. Eight problems; 4. The games and puzzles of Lewis Carroll; 5. Paper cutting; 6. Board games; 7. Sphere packing; 8. The transcendental number Pi; 9. Victor Eigen, mathemagician; 10. The four-color map theorem; 11. Mr. Apollinax visits New York; 12. Nine problems; 13. Polyominoes and fault-free rectangles; 14. Euler's spoilers: the discovery of an Order-10 Graeco-Latin square; 15. The ellipse; 16. The 24 color squares and the 30 color cubes; 17. H. S. M. Coxeter; 18. Bridg-it and other games; 19. Nine more problems; 20. The calculus of finite differences. In this collection of 20 reprints of his Mathematical Games columns from 1959 and 1961 issues of Scientific American, Gardner shares his delight in recreational math. The renowned mathematics and science writer presents concepts exemplified l“'