Martin Gardner
and
Recreational Mathematics
Tom McNamara
Department of Mathematics, SWOSU
November 3, 2014
Who Was Martin Gardner?
Born 1914 in Tulsa, OK
Served in the Navy
Graduated U. of Chicago in Philosophy
Prolific Writer
Column in Scientific American from 1956 to 1981Column for Skeptical Inquirer from 1983 to 2002Published more than 100 books
Died 2010 in Norman, OK
Who Was Martin Gardner?
From Gardner’s obituary in the LA Times:
Though Gardner was not a mathematician himself, his
lucid explanation of puzzles and other mathematical
phenomena seduced a generation of youngsters into the
field.
What is Recreational Mathematics?
Recreational mathematics is carried out for two reasons:
self-education
entertainment.
We might contrast this to mathematical research, where the goal is
to create a systematic body of knowledge.
Sliding Pennies
Turn the top figure into the
bottom using the smallest
number of moves.
Coins must remain flat on
the surface.
Don’t disturb any other
pennies.
Each must touch two
others.
The Jones Sister
If you happen to meet two of the Jones sisters – a random selection
of two from the set of all Jones sisters – there is a 50% probability
that both girls will have blue eyes. What is the total number of
Jones sister.
Termite and 27 Cubes
Can the termite bore through
each of the 26 outside cubes just
once and end up in the center?
Reverse the Dog
Can you move just two match
sticks and make the dog face to
the right?
Keep his tail pointing up as
before.