A Mathematical Pandora's Box has been written in response to the success of Brian Bolt's earlier mathematical puzzle books. Through his own experience, the author has discovered a worldwide interest in these and similar puzzles. Not only do they stimulate creative thinking but they can also open up new areas of mathematics to the reader. This book contains 142 activities: in addition to puzzles, there are games, tricks, models and explanations of various phenomena. They range from number manipulation, through happy and amicable numbers, coin puzzles, picnicking bears and pentominoes, to building shapes with cubes. Some of the puzzles date from hundreds of years ago while many others are original, giving everyone something to think about. There is a detailed commentary at the end of the book, giving solutions and explanations, together with the occasional follow-up problem.
Author(s): Brian Bolt
Year: 1993
Language: English
Pages: 128
Tags: Математика;Популярная математика;
Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
CONTENTS......Page 5
Introduction......Page 9
2 Damage limitation!......Page 11
5 Spawning coins!......Page 12
8 Keep off my line!......Page 13
10 Maximise the product......Page 14
12 Can you do better?......Page 15
13 The Soma cube......Page 16
15 Telaga Buruk......Page 17
18 An isosceles dissection......Page 18
21 The time trial......Page 19
24 A circuitous guard inspection......Page 20
26 Know the time!......Page 21
27 Half a cube......Page 22
28 Pinball pursuits......Page 23
30 What is the colour of Anna's hat?......Page 24
33 Mum's happy!......Page 25
35 Bending Euclid!......Page 26
37 Bowler of the match?......Page 27
39 Ornithology!......Page 28
42 Two's enough!......Page 29
44 Patterns to appreciate......Page 30
45 Make yourself a ruled surface......Page 31
48 Prime addresses!......Page 32
50 An ancient riddle......Page 33
52 Esther's dilemma......Page 34
54 Piling up the ancestors!......Page 35
56 Coincident birthdays!......Page 36
58 Symbolism!......Page 37
60 Manipulating calendar digits......Page 38
63 Extrapolating from five seconds!......Page 39
65 Magic tetrahedra......Page 40
67 Dr Shah in the country......Page 41
70 Unit fractions......Page 42
72 A devilish domino distribution!......Page 43
74 Mr Mailshot's muddle......Page 44
76 The queen's pursuit......Page 45
78 Follow my leader?......Page 46
81 Romantic?......Page 47
84 Fill the gap!......Page 48
85 Who do you know?......Page 49
87 Joe Joiner's new bench......Page 50
90 This number is unique!......Page 51
92 Multiplication magic......Page 52
94 Cross out nine digits......Page 53
97 Triangular Nim......Page 54
99 Customs control!......Page 55
101 Save the farmer's legs!......Page 56
104 Matchstick magic......Page 57
108 Reservoir revelations!......Page 58
110 Target......Page 59
112 Multiple units!......Page 60
114 Batting exploits......Page 61
117 Convex pentagons are out!......Page 62
Nuptial flight!......Page 63
122 Coin cutting!......Page 64
123 The photo cubes!......Page 65
126 Rational cubes......Page 66
128 Cube rolling!......Page 67
130 Net it!......Page 68
132 Flattening a cube efficiently!......Page 69
134 Rakesh at the cinema......Page 70
136 Curves of constant breadth......Page 71
138 Plywood pentominoes!......Page 73
139 Trisecting an angle......Page 74
140 Rational approximations to…......Page 76
141 Artificial gravity......Page 77
142 Taking Mansfield for a walk......Page 78
5 Spawning coins!......Page 79
9 Printing the parish magazine......Page 80
12 Can you do better?......Page 81
18 An isosceles dissection......Page 82
22 Together in threes......Page 83
26 Know the time!......Page 84
29 Happy numbers!......Page 85
31 Cubical contortions!......Page 86
34 A fascinating pentagonal array!......Page 87
36 Tetrahexagons......Page 88
38 Knight's tours!......Page 89
42 Two's enough!......Page 90
47 The windmill......Page 91
52 Esther's dilemma......Page 92
56 Coincident birthdays!......Page 93
58 Symbolism!......Page 94
62 The hangover!......Page 95
65 Magic tetrahedra......Page 96
66 Fault-free rectangles......Page 98
68 In their prime......Page 99
70 Unit fractions......Page 100
73 Tri-hex......Page 101
77 Ageing!......Page 102
81 Romantic?......Page 103
84 Fill the gap!......Page 104
90 This number is unique!......Page 105
91 Triangular animals!......Page 106
95 A sequential challenge......Page 107
98 Bridge that gap!......Page 108
101 Save the farmer's legs!......Page 109
105 Two special square numbers......Page 110
109 Domestic deliberations!......Page 111
112 Multiple units!......Page 112
113 Dr Sharma's railway riddle......Page 113
115 How far to the lighthouse?......Page 114
117 Convex pentagons are out!......Page 115
120 Nuptial flight!......Page 116
121 Hexomino doubles!......Page 117
123 The photo cubes!......Page 118
126 Rational cubes......Page 119
128 Cube rolling!......Page 120
131 A Pythagorean prime property......Page 121
132 Flattening a cube efficiently!......Page 122
134 Rakesh at the cinema......Page 123
137 The home stretch!......Page 124
141 Artificial gravity......Page 126
142 Taking Mansfield for a walk......Page 127
