The Art of Mathematics
Coffee Time in Memphis

A collection of mathematical problems chosen to illustrate the mathematician's art.

Béla Bollobás (Author)

9780521693950, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 14 September 2006

386 pages, 85 b/w illus.
22.8 x 16.1 x 1.9 cm, 0.51 kg

'The beauty of this book is not only the variety of problems and the every day appeal of many of them, but also that the questions and answers are provided separately so one can have a go at them alone first … an excellent way to engage in elegant mathematics and provide some yoga for your brain.' www.bluesci.org

Can a Christian escape from a lion? How quickly can a rumour spread? Can you fool an airline into accepting oversize baggage? Recreational mathematics is full of frivolous questions where the mathematician's art can be brought to bear. But play often has a purpose. In mathematics, it can sharpen skills, provide amusement, or simply surprise, and books of problems have been the stock-in-trade of mathematicians for centuries. This collection is designed to be sipped from, rather than consumed in one sitting. The questions range in difficulty: the most challenging offer a glimpse of deep results that engage mathematicians today; even the easiest prompt readers to think about mathematics. All come with solutions, many with hints, and most with illustrations. Whether you are an expert, or a beginner or an amateur mathematician, this book will delight for a lifetime.

Preface
Part I. The Problems
Part II. The Hints
Part III. The Solutions.

Subject Areas: Mathematics [PB]