Math Hysteria: Fun and Games with Mathematics

by Ian Stewart

Welcome to Ian Stewart's strange and magical world of mathematics! Math Hysteria contains twenty quirky tales of mathematical exploration by one of the world's most popular writers on mathematics. Ian Stewart presents us with a wealth of magical puzzles, each one spun around an amazing tale, including "Counting the Cattle of the Sun," "The Great Drain Robbery," and "Preposterous Piratical Predicaments." Fully illustrated with explanatory diagrams, each tale is told with engaging wit, sure to amuse everyone with an interest in puzzles and mathematics. Along the way, we also meet many curious characters. Containing twenty specially-commissioned cartoons, this book will delight all who are familiar with Stewart's many other books, such as What Shape is a Snowflake? and Flatterland and anyone interested in mathematical problems. In short, these stories are engaging, challenging, and lots of fun!

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction, Science, School

235 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2004

About the author

Ian Nicholas Stewart is an Emeritus Professor and Digital Media Fellow in the Mathematics Department at Warwick University, with special responsibility for public awareness of mathematics and science. He is best known for his popular science writing on mathematical themes.
--from the author's website

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.

Reviews

[Paulo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una recopilación de la columna Recreaciones matemáticas que Stewart escribió para Scientific American entre 1991 y 2001, siguiendo el estilo que había instaurado Martin Gardner años antes (y que le catapultó merecidamente a la fama, dicho sea de paso).

Es por ello que los capítulos son muy independientes entre sí, de hecho un poco más de cohesión sería de agradecer. Se nota que están escritos para otro formato. Se trata fundamentalmente de matemática recreativa, algunas de las historias requieren una lectura pausada y atenta para poder seguir sus razonamiento, y no todas me han parecido igual de disfrutables, si bien todas afrontan situaciones interesantes.

[Alberto Garcia Ariza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Las mates son bonitas pero muy complicadas. La mayoría de los ejemplos no son fáciles de seguir. De hecho solo he entendido completamente uno de ellos, pero ha merecido la pena.

"Una tripulación de piratas tienen un peculiar sistema de repartir un botín. Se ordenan por índice de ferocidad, y entonces el más cruel propone una manera de reparto y todos votan. Si pierde la votación (necesita al menos un 50% de los votos), es pasado por la plancha, y el siguiente pirata más cruel propone su reparto y votación, etc.
Con 10 piratas y 100 monedas, ¿Cual es la propuesta que garantiza al pirata más cruel maximizar su beneficio?"


Si queréis la respuesta hay dos opciones:
a) leerse el libro
b) Pedírmela. Eso sí, no voy a explicarla

Aunque supongo que hay una tercera opción que es buscar el acertijo en la red.

Aunque la sorprendente es la versión que tiene 201 piratas y 100 monedas.

[afloatingpoint · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books by Ian Stewart. I used to write down fun math stuff like this in a little notebook, but now he just put everything together for you. Giving you the taste of many fields in Math, from knot theory to game theory, the book is a great gift you can give to your friends who love math.

[Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

#18 My brain isn't wired for mathematical concepts in the main but this was still a good read, even if most of the concepts were beyond me (simple though they may be to others). Well written, often quite funny, it was enjoyable and thought provoking. And I just might have learned a thing or two

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories are a little bit childish, but otherwise excellent in describing maths puzzles. Unfortunately, I don't actually understand all the mathematics involved.

[Matthew Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great fun book which reminded me why I enjoyed mathematics so much at school and chose to do a degree in it. An enjoyable book that gets the brain working and has a good bit of humour in it to keep the reader entertained.

[Alberto Amigo Gómez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy divertido

[Benoît Mandelbrot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primer libro que leí de Ian Stewart, y la verdad que me sorprendió mucho y para bien. Magnífico, y muy interesante.

[Maurizio Codogno · Rating 3 out of 5]

La prolificità come autore di Ian Stewart non raggiunge quella di Martin Gardner, ma sicuramente è difficile non imbattersi in un suo libro se si amano le ricreazioni matematiche, anzi i giochi matematici come lui si affretta a ribadire nell'introduzione. Questo libro è una raccolta delle rubriche di giochi matematici apparsi sullo Scientific American alla fine degli anni 1990.
Per fortuna stavolta i pessimi giochi di parole di Stewart sono limitati, con il peggio che si trova nel capitolo "Domino Theories"; tra gli altri capitoli, a parte la teoria del Monopoli che vi spiegherà perché non vale troppo la pena di dannarsi per Parco della Vittoria, ho trovato più interessanti gli utlimi capitoli, con un'analisi del numero di persone necessarie per costruire le piramidi, quello che dà i rudimenti per giocare a dots-and-boxes - e non crediate la cosa sia semplice! - e l'analisi della suddivisione di un tesoretto tra un gruppo di pirati che viene portata ben oltre le estreme conseguenze. Come chiosa Stewart, "solo i miti (forse) erediteranno"...

[Andy Cyca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Stewart nos muestra la evolución de una de las columnas científicas más famosas de la historia: «Mathematical Games» de Martin Gardner (que después sería «Metamagical Themas» de Douglas Hofstadter)

Estas columnas tratan sobre temas matemáticos para un público un poco más avanzado en las matemáticas llamadas recreativas. Después de los temas comunes sobre Phi y Pi, uno busca algo más profundo en lo que hincar el diente. Este libro es una excelente repuesta a esa pregunta.