The Art of Mathematics – Take Two
Tea Time in Cambridge

Entertaining, surprising and challenging mathematics problems of the sort pondered by generations during afternoon tea.

Béla Bollobás (Author)

9781108978262, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 30 June 2022

348 pages
23 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.52 kg

'As implied by the title … the problems posed often arose in the context of a tradition that is well established in many university departments of mathematics, whereby the members of the department gather for afternoon coffee or tea and do what they like to do best: discuss mathematics. Such camaraderie among mathematicians can be felt by readers working through the problem solutions, most of which also include a fascinating account of the history of the particular problem and the mathematicians who were involved in discussing it … Highly recommended.' D. S. Larson, Choice

Lovers of mathematics, young and old, professional and amateur, will enjoy this book. It is mathematics with fun: a collection of attractive problems that will delight and test readers. Many of the problems are drawn from the large number that have entertained and challenged students, guests and colleagues over the years during afternoon tea. The problems have their roots in many areas of mathematics. They vary greatly in difficulty: some are very easy, but most are far from trivial, and quite a few rather hard. Many provide substantial and surprising results that form the tip of an iceberg, providing an introduction to an important topic. To enjoy and appreciate the problems, readers should browse the book choosing one that looks particularly enticing, and think about it on and off for a while before resorting to the hint or the solution. Follow threads for an enjoyable and enriching journey through mathematics.

Preface
1. Problems
2. Hints
3. Solutions.

Subject Areas: Algorithms & data structures [UMB], Discrete mathematics [PBD]