Get Cows In The Maze: And Other Mathematical Explorations Authored By Ian Stewart Hardcover

e ultima raccolta degli articoli di Ian Stewart sullo Scientific American e sulla versione francese Pour la Science non so voi, ma a me il pensiero che la rubrica di giochi matematici sullo Scientific American fosse divenuta bimestrale e che sono state le versioni nazionali a mantenere alta la bandiera della matematica ricreativa fa un po' di tristezza, in questo libro troviamo quello che ci si può aspettare da un testo del genere: capitoli generalmente scorrelati, tranne il trittico sui viaggi nel tempo che in effetti sono l'espansione di un'unica colonna piuttosto lunga nell'originale, e che toccano più o meno tutti i campi, data la pervasività della matematica che i non matematici credono essere incredibile ma che in effetti per i matematici è una cosa assolutamente normale.
Questo significa che ci sono capitoli quello sulle figure di corda e sulle danze che per me sono assolutamente inutili e altri chessò, quello sui quadrati più che magici o sui percorsi dei cavalli su scacchiere rettangolari il cui approccio è molto più interessante di quello che si trova in giro solitamente.
Altra cosa molto bella è la sezione finale di ogni capitolo con la sitografia: perché diciamocelo, oggi come oggi il libro è il punto di partenza, non certo l'arrivo.
In definitiva: carino, ma direi non essenziale, Columns from Scientific american on mathematical topics,
Good, not great. This book was a joy to read, It has lots of fun mathematical ideas and puzzles, as well as games that you can play by yourself or with our kids, Quite entertaining. Book is a collection of disappointing short pop math pieces, Some of the problems Stewart poses are new, others old, In both cases, his treatments offer few insights, And the exposition is weak, Stewart leaves too much to the imagination, and his attempts at humor are lame, Stewart may be a fine mathematician, This particular recreational math book, though, I thought was very mediocre, Following on the success of his books Math Hysteria and How to Cut a Cake, Ian Stewart is back with more stories and puzzles that are as quirky as they are fascinating, and each from the cutting edge of the world of mathematics.

From the math of mazes, to cones with a twist, and the amazing sphericonand how to make oneCows in the Maze takes readers on an exhilarating tour of the world of mathematics.
We find out about the mathematics of time travel, explore the shape of teardrops which are not teardrop shaped, but something much, much more strange, dance with dodecahedra, and play the game of Hex, among many more strange and delightful mathematical diversions.
In the title essay, Stewart introduces readers to Robert Abbott's mindbending "Where Are the Cows" maze, which changes every time you pass through it, and is said to be the most difficult maze ever invented.
In addition, he shows how ayear old woman and a computer scientist cracked a longstanding question about

counting magic squares, describes the mathematical patterns in animal movement walk, trot, gallop, looks at a fusion of art, mathematics, and the physics of sand piles, and reveals how mathematicians canand doprove a
negative.

Populated by amazing creatures, strange characters, and astonishing mathematics explained in an accessible and fun way, and illustrated with quirky cartoons by artist Spike Gerrell, Cows in the Maze will delight everyone who loves mathematics, puzzles and mathematical conundrums.

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