Mathematical Treks: From Surreal Numbers to Magic Circles (Spectrum)

Science News Publishes A Weekly Column Devoted To 'cool Stuff' From The World Of Mathematics. There Have Been Over 250 Articles Under The Title 'ivars Peterson's Math Treks'. New Developments And Their Applications, Old Puzzles Revisited, Famous Problems And Historic Events Have All Featured. This Column Has Been Extremely Popular For Its Brief, Informal Forays Into Some Of The More Unusual Aspects Of Mathematics. Ivars Peterson Has Enhanced And Updated A Selection Of Articles For This Book And Further Bibliographic Details And Web Links Are Available Online. The Contents Span A Wide Range Of Topics And There Will Be Something Here For Anyone With An Interest In Mathematics -- Publisher Description. Calculation And The Chess Master -- The Cow In The Classroom -- A Passion For Pi -- Computing In The Surreal Realm -- Pythagorus Plays Ball -- Recycling Topology -- Soap Films And Grid Walks -- Mating Games And Lizards -- Random Bits -- Spreading Rumors -- Towards A Fairer Expansion Draft -- Cracking The Ball-control Myth -- Math And A Music Education -- Sprouts -- Groups, Graphs And Paul Erdos -- Dna Adds Up -- Computing With The Edsac -- Waring Experiments -- Old And New Arithmetic -- Matchsticks In The Summer -- Tricky Crossings -- Beyond The Ellipse -- Trouble With Wild-card Poker -- Prime Theorems -- Champion Numbers -- A Perfect Collaboration -- Fragments Of The Past -- More Than Magic Squares -- Rolling With Reuleaux -- Next In Line -- Pennies In A Tray -- Fair Play And Dreidel -- Euclid's Fourteenth Book. Ivars Peterson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. As a spectator sport, championship chess lacks the unrelenting action of a basketball game and the bruising spectacle of a football superbowl.