Research Catalog

Title

Magical mathematics : the mathematical ideas that animate great magic tricks / Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham ; with a foreword by Martin Gardner.

Author

Diaconis, Persi.

Publication

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2012.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Graham, Ron, 1950-

Description

xii, 244 p. : col. ill.; 25 cm

Summary

"Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of amazing, fun-to-perform card tricks--and the profound mathematical ideas behind them--that will astound even the most accomplished magician. Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham provide easy, step-by-step instructions for each trick, explaining how to set up the effect and offering tips on what to say and do while performing it. Each card trick introduces a new mathematical idea, and varying the tricks in turn takes readers to the very threshold of today's mathematical knowledge. For example, the Gilbreath principle--a fantastic effect where the cards remain in control despite being shuffled--is found to share an intimate connection with the Mandelbrot set. Other card tricks link to the mathematical secrets of combinatorics, graph theory, number theory, topology, the Riemann hypothesis, and even Fermat's last theorem. Diaconis and Graham are mathematicians as well as skilled performers with decades of professional experience between them. In this book they share a wealth of conjuring lore, including some closely guarded secrets of legendary magicians. Magical Mathematics covers the mathematics of juggling and shows how the I Ching connects to the history of probability and magic tricks both old and new. It tells the stories--and reveals the best tricks--of the eccentric and brilliant inventors of mathematical magic. Magical Mathematics exposes old gambling secrets through the mathematics of shuffling cards, explains the classic street-gambling scam of three-card monte, traces the history of mathematical magic back to the thirteenth century and the oldest mathematical trick--and much more"--

Subject

• Card tricks > Mathematics
• MATHEMATICS / General
• MATHEMATICS / Recreations & Games

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

1. Mathematics in the air -- Royal Hummer -- Back to magic -- 2. In cycles -- The magic of de Bruijn sequences -- Going further -- 3. Is this stuff actually good for anything? -- Robotic vision -- Making codes -- To the core of our being -- This de Bruijn stuff is cool but can it get you a job? -- 4. Universal cycles -- Order matters -- A mind-reading effect -- Universal cycles again -- 5. From the Gilbreath principle to the Mandelbrot set -- The Gilbreath principle -- The Mandelbrot set -- 6. Neat shuffles -- A mind-reading computer -- A look inside perfect shuffles -- A look inside monge and milk shuffles -- A look inside down-and-under shuffles -- All the shuffles are related -- 7. The oldest mathematical entertainment? -- The miracle divination -- How many magic tricks are there? -- 8. Magic in the Book of changes -- Introduction to the Book of changes -- Using the I Ching for divination -- Probability and the Book of changes -- Some magic (tricks) -- Probability and the I Ching -- 9. What goes up must come down -- Writing it down -- Getting started in juggling -- 10. Stars of mathematical magic (and some of the best tricks in the book) -- Alex Elmsley -- Bob Neale -- Henry Christ -- Stewart James -- Charles Thornton Jordan -- Bob Hummer -- Martin Gardner -- 11. Going further -- 12. On secrets.

Call Number

MZC 13-7646

ISBN

• 9780691151649 (hardback)
• 0691151644 (hardback)

LCCN

2011014755

OCLC

724663210

Author

Diaconis, Persi.

Title

Magical mathematics : the mathematical ideas that animate great magic tricks / Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham ; with a foreword by Martin Gardner.

Imprint

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2012.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Added Author

Graham, Ron, 1950-

Research Call Number

MZC 13-7646