From the mathematics of mazes, to cones with a twist, and the amazing sphericon - and how to make one - Ian Stewart is back with more mathematical stories and puzzles that are as quirky as they are fascinating, and each from the cutting edge of the world of mathematics.
We find out about the mathematics of time travel, explore the shape of teardrops (which are not tear-drop shaped, but something much, much more strange!), dance with dodecahedra, and play the game of Hex, amongst many more strange and delightful mathematical diversions.
1. Walking with Quadrupeds; 2. Forward to the Future; 3. Back to the Past; 4. What Shape is a Teardrop?; 5. Tiling Space With Knots; 6. The Interrogator's Fallacy; 7. Cows in the Maze; 8. Knight's Tours on Rectangles; 9. The Lore and Lure of Dice; 10. Cat's Cradle Calculus Challenge; 11. Glass Klein Bottles; 12. Cementing Relationships; 13. Dances with Dodecahedra; 14. Cone with a Twist; 15. Most-Perfect Magic Squares; 16. It Can't Be Done!; 17. Knotting Ventured, Knotting Gained; 18. Making Winning Connections; 19. Jumping Champions; 20. Pursuing Polygonal Privacy
His easy style...makes the explanation of maths behind black holes, animal gait and time travel simple to digest. Dominic Lenton, Engineering and Technology