Dover Recreational Math

Mathematical Snapshots

H. Steinhaus

“What does a mathematician do?” someone once asked the author, and from that simple inquiry sprang this entertaining and informative volume. Designed to explain and demonstrate mathematical phenomena through the use of photographs and diagrams, Dr. Steinhaus’s thought-provoking exposition ranges from simple puzzles and games to more advanced problems in mathematics.For this revised and enlarged edition, the author added material on such wide-ranging topics as the psychology of lottery players, the arrangement of chromosomes in a human cell, new and larger prime numbers, the fair division of a cake, how to find the shortest possible way to link a dozen locations by rail, and many other absorbing conundrums.This appealing volume reflects the author’s longstanding concern with demonstrating the practical and concrete applications of mathematics as well as its theoretical aspects. It not only clearly and convincingly answers the question asked of Dr. Steinhaus but also offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the world of numbers and their uses.

Dr. Ecco: Mathematical Detective

Dennis Shasha

In this collection of original puzzles, games, and codes, the heroic Dr. Ecco, a mathematical detective and puzzle solver, takes on his archenemy, Baskerhound, and uncovers a plot that threatens the world. No sophisticated mathematical background is necessary to solve these challenges, which were inspired by the methods and thinking of researchers in computer science and mathematics. All you need is imagination and a passion for puzzles.A graduate of Yale, author Dennis Shasha received his Ph.D. from Harvard and is Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He includes complete solutions at the end of the book, and has rated the puzzles according to difficulty.