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Mathematical recreations & essays
Excerpt from Mathematical Recreations and Essays
The earlier part of this book contains an account of certain Mathematical Recreations: this is followed by some Essays on subjects most of which are directly concerned with historical mathematical problems. I hasten to add that the conclusions are of no practical use, and that most of the results are not new. If therefore the reader proceeds further he is at least forewarned. At the same time I think I may say that many of the questions discussed are interesting, not a few are associated with the names of distinguished mathematicians, while hitherto several of the memoirs quoted have not been easily accessible to English readers. A great deal of new matter has been added since the work was first issued in 1892, but insertions made since 1911, when the book was stereotyped, have had to be placed where room for them could best be found.
The book is divided into two parts, but in both parts I have excluded questions which involve advanced mathematics.
The First Part now consists of ten chapters, in which are described various problems and amusements of the kind usually termed Mathematical Recreations. Several of the questions mentioned in the first five chapters are of a somewhat trivial character, and had they been treated in any standard English work to which I could have referred the reader, I should have left them out: in the absence of such a work, I thought it better to insert them and trust to the judicious reader to omit them altogether or to skim them as he feels inclined.
The earlier part of this book contains an account of certain Mathematical Recreations: this is followed by some Essays on subjects most of which are directly concerned with historical mathematical problems. I hasten to add that the conclusions are of no practical use, and that most of the results are not new. If therefore the reader proceeds further he is at least forewarned. At the same time I think I may say that many of the questions discussed are interesting, not a few are associated with the names of distinguished mathematicians, while hitherto several of the memoirs quoted have not been easily accessible to English readers. A great deal of new matter has been added since the work was first issued in 1892, but insertions made since 1911, when the book was stereotyped, have had to be placed where room for them could best be found.
The book is divided into two parts, but in both parts I have excluded questions which involve advanced mathematics.
The First Part now consists of ten chapters, in which are described various problems and amusements of the kind usually termed Mathematical Recreations. Several of the questions mentioned in the first five chapters are of a somewhat trivial character, and had they been treated in any standard English work to which I could have referred the reader, I should have left them out: in the absence of such a work, I thought it better to insert them and trust to the judicious reader to omit them altogether or to skim them as he feels inclined.
- GenresMathematicsScience
428 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1892
About the author
W.W. Rouse Ball
167 books8 followersWalter William Rouse Ball, known as W. W. Rouse Ball (14 August 1850 – 4 April 1925), was a British mathematician, lawyer, and fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1878 to 1905. He was also a keen amateur magician, and the founding president of the Cambridge Pentacle Club in 1919, one of the world's oldest magic societies.
Rouse Ball was educated at University College School, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1870, where he became a scholar and the first winner of Smith's Prize. He gained his BA in 1874 as second Wrangler and then became a Fellow of Trinity in 1875, which he remained for the rest of his life.
He is buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge, and is commemorated in the naming of a small pavilion situated on Jesus Green in Cambridge. The Rouse Ball Professorship of Mathematics and the Rouse Ball Professorship at English Law, both held at Cambridge, were created in 1927 from a bequest by Rouse Ball.
Rouse Ball was educated at University College School, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1870, where he became a scholar and the first winner of Smith's Prize. He gained his BA in 1874 as second Wrangler and then became a Fellow of Trinity in 1875, which he remained for the rest of his life.
He is buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge, and is commemorated in the naming of a small pavilion situated on Jesus Green in Cambridge. The Rouse Ball Professorship of Mathematics and the Rouse Ball Professorship at English Law, both held at Cambridge, were created in 1927 from a bequest by Rouse Ball.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 13, 2023
Книга издана в некогда суперпопулярной серии издательства "Мир" - "Математическая мозаика". Позиционируется, как энциклопедия занимательной математики, но написана очень тяжеловесно, да к тому же неэлементарно - регулярно всплывает и анализ и ряды и абстрактная алгебра и прочая. Те же задачи изложены в серии книг Мартина Гарднера (не фантаста, а математика-популяризатора) куда как более внятно. Но читать можно. Самая последняя глава, посвященная криптоанализу и криптографии, получилась самой занятной, но к настоящему времени изрядно устарела.
January 21, 2022
Read Chapter XI 'Cryptographs and Ciphers' only
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews