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Product Description
Enter the magical maze of mathematics and explore the surprising passageways of a fantastical world where logic and imagination converge. For mathematics is a maze—a maze in your head—a maze of ideas, a maze of logic. And that maze in your mind is a powerful tool for understanding an even bigger maze—the one of cause and effect that we call "the universe." That is its special kind of magic. Real magic. Strange magic. Infinitely fascinating magic. Acclaimed author Ian Stewart leads you swiftly and humorously through the junctions, byways, and secret passages of the magical maze to reveal its beauty, surprise, and power. Along the way, he reveals the infinite possibilities that arise from what he calls "the two-way trade between the natural world and the human mind." If you’ve always loved mathematics, you will find endless delights in the twists and turns of The Magical Maze. If you’ve always hated mathematics, a trip through this marvelous book will do much to change your mind.
Amazon.com Review
Math is fun? It is in Ian Stewart's romp through a labyrinth of possibilities and logic. Although some of the delightful puzzles, problems and teasers will give your brain a workout, you will be glad you followed the path to the end. Stewart uses the maze metaphor (the book has an "entrance," "passages," and an "exit" rather than an introduction, chapters, and an end) to illustrate the mental journeys we take when solving everything from bar tricks to problems of artificial intelligence. Difficult points are illustrated with an imaginary journey and lots of fun games. Real-life examples of mathematical "magic" abound, including the trails of slime-molds and the dimples in golf balls. Great walk through the jungle of probability. --Therese Littleton
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