Perfect for those who enjoy intellectual challenges, this user-friendly and visually appealing collection offers both new and classic strategic board games. Chapters include two- and three-player games, a selection of mathematical games that features Nim and games on graphs, a survey of the theory and history of board games, and a lengthy glossary.

This refreshingly authoritative look at recreational mathematics illustrates winning strategies that use the methods of algebra, geometry, combinatorics, number theory, graph theory, and other branches of mathematics. Its lucid analyses of the rules and theories of mathematical games include skill-enhancing exercises, plus references, appendixes, and detailed explanations. 1992 edition.

Bestselling author and worst-drawing artist Ben Orlin expands his oeuvre with this interactive collection of mathematical games. With 70-plus games, each taking a minute to learn and a lifetime to master, this treasure trove will delight, educate, and entertain. From beloved math popularizer Ben Orlin comes a masterfully compiled collection of dozens of playable mathematical games.This ultimate game chest draws on mathematical curios, childhood classics, and soon-to-be classics, each hand-chosen to be (1) fun, (2) thought-provoking, and (3) easy to play. With just paper, pens, and the occasional handful of coins, you and a partner can enjoy hours of fun—and hours of challenge. Orlin’s sly humor, expansive knowledge, and so-bad-they’re-good drawings show us how simple rules summon our best thinking. Games include: Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe Sprouts Battleship Quantum Go Fish Dots and Boxes Black Hole Order and Chaos Sequencium Paper Boxing Prophecies Arpeggios Banker Francoprussian Labyrinth Cats and Dogs And many more.

Active engagement is the key to learning. You want your students doing something that stimulates them to ask questions and creates a need to know. Teaching Mathematics Through Games presents a variety of classroom-tested exercises and activities that provoke the active learning and curiosity that you hope to promote. These games run the gamut from well-known favorites like SET and Settlers of Catan to original games involving simulating structural inequality in New York or playing Battleship with functions. The book contains activities suitable for a wide variety of college mathematics courses, including general education courses, math for elementary education, probability, calculus, linear algebra, history of math, and proof-based mathematics. Some chapter activities are short term, such as a drop-in lesson for a day, and some are longer, including semester-long projects. All have been tested, refined, and include extensive implementation notes.

A hilarious reeducation in mathematics-full of joy, jokes, and stick figures-that sheds light on the countless practical and wonderful ways that math structures and shapes our world. In Math With Bad Drawings, Ben Orlin reveals to us what math actually is; its myriad uses, its strange symbols, and the wild leaps of logic and faith that define the usually impenetrable work of the mathematician. Truth and knowledge come in multiple forms: colorful drawings, encouraging jokes, and the stories and insights of an empathetic teacher who believes that math should belong to everyone. Orlin shows us how to think like a mathematician by teaching us a brand-new game of tic-tac-toe, how to understand an economic crises by rolling a pair of dice, and the mathematical headache that ensues when attempting to build a spherical Death Star. Every discussion in the book is illustrated with Orlin's trademark "bad drawings," which convey his message and insights with perfect pitch and clarity. With 24 chapters covering topics from the electoral college to human genetics to the reasons not to trust statistics, Math with Bad Drawings is a life-changing book for the math-estranged and math-enamored alike.

Did you like Math or Science in school? Have you played games that stimulated your thought processes for Math and Science? Trying to be creative in your Math, Science or leadership class? Can leadership be taught? Is leadership an Art or a Science or Math? Seeking to impact your training program with creative games?A primer for leadership development, this book introduces Math and Science games with a review process component that can be used for leadership instruction. The book highlights key leadership principles which show that leaders must: Ask questions; Be disciplined; Create and see things differently; Develop resources; Engage in active listening; Make priorities; Multiply leaders; Problem solve; Set an example; Sacrifice; Search and explore; Strategize; Support diversity; Work in teams and collaborate.

Games are seen only for recreation. However, this book shows that games can be used to strengthen problem-solving skills and beyond. This book presents strategy games and discusses for each one solutions towards a winning position in the game. In most cases, these strategies are analogous to problem-solving strategies in mathematics. Readers are also exposed to a wide variety of games from several different cultures, which will broaden the perspective of the readers.

This text offers an exceptionally clear presentation of the mathematical theory of games of strategy and its applications to many fields including economics, military, business, and operations research.

Famed puzzle expert explains math behind a multitude of mystifying tricks: card tricks, stage "mind reading," coin and match tricks, counting out games, geometric dissections, etc. More than 400 tricks. 135 illustrations.

This undergraduate textbook promotes an active transition to higher mathematics. Problem solving is the heart and soul of this book: each problem is carefully chosen to demonstrate, elucidate, or extend a concept. More than 300 exercises engage the reader in extensive arguments and creative approaches, while exploring connections between fundamental mathematical topics. Divided into four parts, this book begins with a playful exploration of the building blocks of mathematics, such as definitions, axioms, and proofs. A study of the fundamental concepts of logic, sets, and functions follows, before focus turns to methods of proof. Having covered the core of a transition course, the author goes on to present a selection of advanced topics that offer opportunities for extension or further study. Throughout, appendices touch on historical perspectives, current trends, and open questions, showing mathematics as a vibrant and dynamic human enterprise. This second edition has been reorganized to better reflect the layout and curriculum of standard transition courses. It also features recent developments and improved appendices. An Invitation to Abstract Mathematics is ideal for those seeking a challenging and engaging transition to advanced mathematics, and will appeal to both undergraduates majoring in mathematics, as well as non-math majors interested in exploring higher-level concepts. From reviews of the first edition: Bajnok’s new book truly invites students to enjoy the beauty, power, and challenge of abstract mathematics. ... The book can be used as a text for traditional transition or structure courses ... but since Bajnok invites all students, not just mathematics majors, to enjoy the subject, he assumes very little background knowledge. Jill Dietz, MAA Reviews The style of writing is careful, but joyously enthusiastic.... The author’s clear attitude is that mathematics consists of problem solving, and that writing a proof falls into this category. Students of mathematics are, therefore, engaged in problem solving, and should be given problems to solve, rather than problems to imitate. The author attributes this approach to his Hungarian background ... and encourages students to embrace the challenge in the same way an athlete engages in vigorous practice. John Perry, zbMATH