The Mathematics of Oz: Mental Gymnastics from Beyond the Edge

by Clifford A. Pickover

Grab a pencil. Relax. Then take off on a mind-boggling journey to the ultimate frontier of math, mind, and meaning as acclaimed author Clifford Pickover, Dorothy, and Dr. Oz explore some of the oddest and quirkiest highways and byways of the numerically obsessed. The thought-provoking mysteries, puzzles, and problems range from zebra numbers and circular primes to Legion's number--a number so big that it makes a trillion pale in comparison. The strange mazes, bizarre consequences, and dizzying arrays of logic problems entertain readers at all levels of mathematical sophistication. The tests devised by enigmatic Dr. Oz to assess human intelligence will tease the brain of even the most avid puzzle fan. They feature a host of mathematical topics: geometry and mazes, sequences, series, sets, arrangements, probability and misdirection, number theory, arithmetic, and even several problems dealing with the physical world. With numerous illustrations, this is an original, fun-filled, and unusual introduction to numbers and their role in creativity, computers, games, practical research, and absurd adventures that teeter on the edge of logic and insanity. Clifford A. Pickover is the author of over twenty highly acclaimed books on such topics as computers and creativity, art, mathematics, black holes, human behavior and intelligence, time travel, alien life, and science fiction. Among his books are Computers, Pattern, Chaos, and Beauty (St. Martin's Press, 1990), Wonders of Numbers (Oxford University Press, 2000), Dreaming the Future (Prometheus, 2001), The Zen of Magic Squares, Circles, and Stars (Princeton University Press, 2001), The Stars of Heaven (Oxford University Press, 2001), The Paradox of God and the Science of Omniscience (Palgrave, 2002). A Ph.D. graduate of Yale University, he is a prolific inventor with dozens of patents, the associate editor for several journals, the author of colorful puzzle calendars, and puzzle contributor to adult and children's magazines. Pickover's computer graphics have been featured on the cover of many popular magazines and on T.V. shows.

Genres: Mathematics, Puzzles, Science, Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Clifford Alan Pickover is an American author, editor, and columnist in the fields of science, mathematics, science fiction, innovation, and creativity. For many years, he was employed at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown, New York, where he was editor-in-chief of the IBM Journal of Research and Development. He has been granted more than 700 U.S. patents, is an elected Fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and is author of more than 50 books, translated into more than a dozen languages.

Reviews

[Maurizio Codogno · Rating 1 out of 5]

La mia recensione: http://xmau.com/notiziole/archives/00...

[Joseph Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a decent Bachelor of Mathematics grad, most of these puzzles were challenging but doable. There might be a few that could be done if you were only in grade school, and some more in high school, but the majority of the puzzles required considerable thinking. I liked the overarching narrative.

However, I dislike that some of the puzzles did not have concrete answers, instead relying on programming estimates. To be clear, I don't mind the ones where there was provably no answer. When I see a puzzle presented, I generally prefer one with some sort of hidden elegant solution that you can stumble upon, instead of relying on imprecise brute force.

[Sergi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Les mates són divertides 😅
Amb ganes de compartir amb els nanos els diversos problemes, les situacions que presenta i les solucions

[Martyn Zhang · Rating 4 out of 5]

No podría decir que lo he acabado porque implicaría que he resuelto todo (lo cual de momento parece impensable), pero terminé de leer la parte primera y principal. Debo decir que me sorprendió sobremanera que después de todos los locos planteamientos de cada problema, el autor finalmente se decidiera por atar cabos de esa rarísima historia en el epílogo.

Pasado eso, los primeros 'capítulos' los sentí complicados pues en la parte de 'Para Mayor Búsqueda' (que en la mayoría de los casos vino a ser 'Respuestas') se extendía páginas y páginas en una teoría a mi parecer inentendible. Con el pasar de las páginas, las narraciones se van diversificando (¡vaya que sí!): desde las probabilidades de sobrevivir si metes tu brazo a la lava hasta cuántas gemas excretará después un ave alienígena, pasando por números diabólicos y tres páginas completas de dígitos con efectos alucinógenos.

En general, es bastante explicativo en cuanto a teoría matemática (y en contados casos, psicológica). La manera de explicarlo, ciertas veces se complica pero al hallarle la manera es sorprendentemente demostrativo. Y no creo esté de más decir que más de una vez, el autor se da sus propias palmaditas al mencionar de pasada sus demás escritos respecto al tema.

[Michael Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole thing word for word. I browsed some of the puzzles and they where not what I had expected. Even the "easy" problems seemed pretty difficult. Interesting idea, but a bit out of my interest league at this point. Plus I have a lot of other things I want to spend time on currently.

[Jim Foley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is tough! Not for the person with a casual interest in math!