Author : Ricardo Teixeira
Publisher :
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 25,66 MB
Release : 2018-03-22
Category :
ISBN : 9781986763790
Book Description
Each chapter is written to quickly show an important feature related to different areas, and with direct applications in magic tricks. For instance, students will study Group Theory with definitions and some key results, then they will see them as explanation for a classic magician secret: Si Stebbin's card system. The application to magic tricks has proven very inspiring, and students would be less intimidated with advanced topics.Some highlights from the chapters are:- Chapter 1, Mathematical Proofs: We use this chapter to set a base for the book; it covers proofs by construction, contradiction, induction, and string induction. It offers a variety of definitions that will be used throughout the book. We relate the material with a generalization of one simple trick, and the generalization of a famous Penn and Teller magic trick.- Chapter 2, Probability: we introduce counting principles, probability trees, hypothesis testing, and some very interesting relation to magic tricks.- Chapter 3, Abstract Algebra: finite groups, permutation group, orbit, and a classic magicians' secret (Si Stebbins). We have included twelve tricks to exemplify the material.- Chapter 4, Linear Algebra: inverse matrix, rank, linearly independence, vector spaces, eigenvalue and eigenvector, and their relation to magic squares.- Chapter 5, Elementary Number Theory: positional systems, binary, octal, hexadecimal, arithmetic with other bases. There are several magic tricks to illustrate the material, from card tricks, calendar trick, mentalism, etc.- Chapter 6, Advanced Number Theory: divisibility, prime number, primitive roots, and their relation to magic tricks through tricks performed by famous mental-math expert Arthur Benjamin, and Fields Medal recipient Manjul Bhargava.- Chapter 7, Coding Theory: parity check, Hamming code, expanding Hamming code, Double error correction, Reed-Solomon decoding, Fast Fourier Transform, and their relation to magic tricks though some original tricks.- Chapter 8, Geometry: Euclidean and Non-euclidean geometry, symmetries, rotations, and some tricks.- Chapter 9, Topology and Knot Theory: winding numbers, Euler characteristic, Konigsburg Bridges, Eulerian tours, graph invariants, and their relation to magic tricks with examples from Martin Gardner, Criss Angel, and others.- Chapter 10, Real Analysis: sequences, series, epsilon proofs, and their relation to magic tricks. We reveal the basis for a magician secret prop that can be related to series.- Chapter 11, Numerical Analysis: Computer arithmetic, Bisection Method, other methods for finding solutions numerically, and magic tricks where readers will learn how to make a ``gimmick'' to find cards.- Chapter 12, History of Math: Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Europeans, and their relation to magic tricks.Each chapter starts with a presentation of a key concept in the area, followed by a section on the relationship of the concepts with magic tricks. Then some magic tricks are presented and explained. Chapter ends with exercises section.