Magic Numbers of the Professor

Numerical curiosities ranging from coincidences and the first moon walk, to proposition bets involving dice and cards.

Owen O`shea (Author), Underwood Dudley (Author)

9780883855577, The Mathematical Association of America

Hardback, published 30 December 2007

184 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 1.5 cm, 0.376 kg

From the Number of the Beast and triangular numbers to Friedman numbers and pandigital squares, this smorgasbord of mathematical puzzles, curiosities and coincidences is sure to delight readers of all level of mathematical sophistication.' Clifford A. Pickover, author of The Möbius Strip and A Passion for Mathematics

The Professor in Owen O'Shea's book is the imaginary American Richard Stein. As Owen O'Shea and the Professor travel through Ireland, O'Shea notes the Professor's collection of amazing magic numbers in fascinating detail. His mathematical curiosities are wide ranging, concerning the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania to coincidences about Apollo 11 to the first moon walk to new numerical curiosities. The new curiosities, among many others, center on Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy; the USA and Ireland; the two World Wars; the King James Version of the Bible, and James Joyce. The Number of the Beast, 666, is discussed as well, as are many new equations involving that famous number - all appearing here for the first time. And for those fascinated by games and gambling, a number of curious proposition bets involving dice, darts, and playing cards, and various mathematical puzzles are scattered throughout this singularly entertaining book.

Foreword by Martin Gardner
Introduction
1. Digit curiosities
2. The 9/11 atrocities
3. The Professor speaks on the U. S. and Ireland
4. Curiosities in armed conflicts
5. Number and word palindromes
6. The U. S.-Iraq war
7. The number of the Beast
8. Curios of the Lusitania and other curious matters
9. Wordplay and other curiosities
10. New coincidences on Lincoln and Kennedy
11. Dart and card curiosities
12. The Professor gives some number patterns
13. The King James Bible and some currency curiosities
14. The Professor at the university
Index
About the authors.

Subject Areas: Miscellaneous items [WZ]