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Mathematical Recreations and Essays (Dover Math Games & Puzzles) Paperback – May 6, 2010

by W. W. Rouse Ball (Author), H. S. M. Coxeter (Author)
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
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"The classic work on recreational math in English."—Martin Gardner

For nearly a century, this sparkling classic has provided stimulating hours of entertainment to the mathematically inclined. The problems posed here often involve fundamental mathematical methods and notions, but their chief appeal is their capacity to tease and delight. In these pages you will find scores of "recreations" to amuse you and to challenge your problem-solving faculties—often to the limit.
Now in its 13th edition, Mathematical Recreations and Essays has been thoroughly revised and updated over the decades since its first publication in 1892. This latest edition retains all the remarkable character of the original, but the terminology and treatment of some problems have been updated and new material has been added.
Among the challenges in store for you: Arithmetical and geometrical recreations; Polyhedra; Chess-board recreations; Magic squares; Map-coloring problems; Unicursal problems; Cryptography and cryptanalysis; Calculating prodigies; … and more.
You'll even find problems which mathematical ingenuity can solve but the computer cannot. No knowledge of calculus or analytic geometry is necessary to enjoy these games and puzzles. With basic mathematical skills and the desire to meet a challenge you can put yourself to the test and win.
"A must to add to your mathematics library."—The Mathematics Teacher
Previous page
  1. Print length
    464 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dover Publications
  4. Publication date
    May 6, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    5.41 x 0.92 x 8.47 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0486253570
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0486253572
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

H. S. M. Coxeter: Through the Looking Glass
Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter (1907–2003) is one of the greatest geometers of the last century, or of any century, for that matter. Coxeter was associated with the University of Toronto for sixty years, the author of twelve books regarded as classics in their field, a student of Hermann Weyl in the 1930s, and a colleague of the intriguing Dutch artist and printmaker Maurits Escher in the 1950s.

In the Author's Own Words:
"I'm a Platonist — a follower of Plato — who believes that one didn't invent these sorts of things, that one discovers them. In a sense, all these mathematical facts are right there waiting to be discovered."

"In our times, geometers are still exploring those new Wonderlands, partly for the sake of their applications to cosmology and other branches of science, but much more for the sheer joy of passing through the looking glass into a land where the familiar lines, planes, triangles, circles, and spheres are seen to behave in strange but precisely determined ways."

"Geometry is perhaps the most elementary of the sciences that enable man, by purely intellectual processes, to make predictions (based on observation) about the physical world. The power of geometry, in the sense of accuracy and utility of these deductions, is impressive, and has been a powerful motivation for the study of logic in geometry."

"Let us revisit Euclid. Let us discover for ourselves a few of the newer results. Perhaps we may be able to recapture some of the wonder and awe that our first contact with geometry aroused." — H. S. M. Coxeter

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; 13th Revised ed. edition (May 6, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486253570
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486253572
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.04 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.41 x 0.92 x 8.47 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 24 ratings

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  1. H. S. M. Coxeter

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Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
24 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. James V. Blowers
5.0 out of 5 stars Revised Classic
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
One of the books that I read from the library when I was a child and teenager in the late 1950s and early 1960s was WW Rouse Ball's "Mathematical Recreations and Essays". I learned a lot about mathematics from this book. But I have been away from my home town for many years now, and had never seen the book since then. When I saw it available on Amazon, I bought it. Much of it seemed familiar, but there were revisions made, as I see references to years in the 1980s. Also I note that HSM Coxeter is now a co-author. He's another author from my child and teen days, especially his "Mathematical Models" book which I have. It is still a good book for learning about fun mathematical things, and I highly recommend it, and it reminds me of the old days.
3 people found this helpful
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glasshopper
4.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Wisdom...
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2011
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My favorite -- N is prime if, and only if, (N - 1)! + 1 is divisible by N -- or
maybe you already know that?
3 people found this helpful
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Susan Barger
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2021
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this is just what I was looking for!
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peachhjf
1.0 out of 5 stars ... bought the ebook version and the format is so bad that it is not readable
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2016
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I bought the ebook version and the format is so bad that it is not readable.
3 people found this helpful
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K.C
5.0 out of 5 stars Guarded purchase....
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2013
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More than I expected. I've only had time to skim thru it but as I am interested in design and how things come into being (design wise) I think that this will be a very welcome aid and addition to my library.
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Bruce D. Wilner
5.0 out of 5 stars the best there is
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2007
Any fan of mathematical puzzles will go ape over this thoroughly researched, timeless classic. Even for jaded scientists in their forties (such as me) and beyond, there's always some new gem to be discovered at the turn of a page. The scope of the book is immense, ranging from all manner of "classical" recreations to the puzzles of antiquity (e.g., squaring the circle) to the history of pi to the structure and functionality of the kaleidoscope. It's all here!
11 people found this helpful
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Scott Henson
4.0 out of 5 stars Best consumed in chunks
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2015
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A classic. Challenging but fascinating. Best consumed in chunks.
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Donald Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Compendium...
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2000
This is a classic collection of mathematical recreations. Originally written by W.W. Rouse Ball around 1900, this edition has been updated by the great geometer H.S.M. Coxeter. It is a comprehensive first source for information about magic squares, Platonic and Archimedian solids, "Knight's Tours" and other chessboard recreations, and just about any other variety of math-related puzzle you could name.
For a mathematician, Coxeter is an excellent writer, and the book is quite accessible, even to relative math novices. Fans of Martin Gardner's books, of his "Scientific American" Mathematical Games columns, will want to own this. And because it's published by Dover, the price is right, too.
23 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lecteur
2.0 out of 5 stars Décu
Reviewed in France on October 21, 2016
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Le format poche n'est pas idéal.
Le livre est difficile à lire.
Il n'est pas assez illustré.
Je reste sur ma faim.
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Martyn Johnson
1.0 out of 5 stars A poor rendering of this classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is a classic work but this Kindle edition does not do it justice. I bought it for the convenience of having a Kindle edition but rapidly returned it as I concluded that it wasn't even worth 77p. There is no useful navigation, and the even the most elementary mathematical notation is so garbled as to be incomprehensible. The free PDF version from Project Gutenberg is worlds better.
2 people found this helpful
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何なにのなにがし
1.0 out of 5 stars 内容ないようは★★★★★。Kindle版ばんではなく紙かみの本ほんを買かいましょう
Reviewed in Japan on May 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
中身なかみは良よいです。さまざまな数学すうがく系けいのクイズやパズルは，100年ねんも前まえのものとは思おもえない面白おもしろさです。ただ問題もんだいは，Kindle化かのしかたです。おそらく，画像がぞうをOCRにかけただけで，何なんの手しゅも加くわえていないのではないかと思おもわれます。
まず，目次もくじが目次もくじとして扱あつかわれておらず，本文ほんぶんと同おなじです。つまり，クリックしてもそのページに飛とびません。章しょうが変かわるところの改あらためページも無視むしされています。
そして，至いたる所ところといっていいほど，誤字ごじ脱字だつじだらけです。
最初さいしょのページの冒頭ぼうとうから，いきなりPEEFACE＝しょんべん面めん？（汚きたなくてすみません）ときます。
数式すうしきが出でてくるところなど支離滅裂しりめつれつで，なんのことかさっぱりわかりません。数学すうがくの本ほんで数式すうしきが読よめないというのは致命ちめい的てきです。

ちょっとだけ本文ほんぶんの例れいを示しめすと，
Every even number is of the form 2/1, 　[正まさしくは2n]
and the successive operations applied to the give (i) 6n, which is even;
(ii) J6n = 3n; [正まさしくはJではなくて分数ぶんすうで上下じょうげに書かいた1/2]
(iii) 3x3n = 97i; [もちろん9n]
(iv) ・^9?2 = w; [1/9 9n = n です]
(v) 2n.
その少すこし先さきに「Second Methodf.」とあるのは何なにかと思おもったら，「Second Method†」というダガー印しるしだったり。
しかも，それに対応たいおうする脚注きゃくちゅうが本文ほんぶんの続つづき扱あつかいだったり。

表紙ひょうしと目次もくじの1ページ目めだけは画像がぞうでしたが，残のこりはテキスト化かされています。でもこんないい加減かげんなテキスト化かだったら，全ぜんページ画像がぞうデータにしてくれたほうが，まだ本文ほんぶんが読よめるだけマシです。
きちんとしたKindle版ばんが出でるまでは，紙かみの本ほんで読よみましょう。
One person found this helpful
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B. Evans
1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Edition is NOT THE SAME EDITION as the others listed.
Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
Warning - The Kindle Edition while listed with a newer edition that was updated by H.S.M. Coxeter is actually the old public domain edition available for free from the Internet Archive (as stated in the Kindle eBook itself).

The best version of this book has two authors: the original author W. W. Rouse Ball and H. S. M. Coxeter who updated it. Currently the best bet is to get the latest paperback edition.  Mathematical Recreations and Essays
3 people found this helpful
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