Putting Two and Two Together

Burkard Polster, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.Marty Ross, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

• Putting two and two together: Cordial mathUncovering base motivesSneaky square danceA very strange set of blocksParabolic production lineThe magic of the imaginaryThere's no $e$ in EulerWhat's the best way to lace your shoes?Ringing the changesThe shape of things to come: Triangle surfer dudeWe have it peggedShadowlandsPicture perfectTractrix and truck tricksCycling in circlesWhich way did Natalie go?$\pi=3$Just the right level of wineSpotting an unfortunate spotSumming up the mystery of flight MH370Choc-full of mathematicsToo hot, too cold, just rightA bloody good sport: Seeds of doubtTennis math, anyone?The ball was in AND out? You cannot be serious!Giving it your best shotBombs, and a bombed RiewoldtDiophantine footy fanWalk, don't run!Tour de mathHow round is your soccer ball?And the winner is...The house that math built: Visionary VoronoiMelbourne's catenary chaosEureka!Archimedes' crocodileMelbourne Grammar mystery mapA rectangle, some spheres and lots of trianglesA chance encounter: So you think you can beat the bookies?A Penney for your thoughtsThe Playmobil mysteryThe devil is in the diceThe Freddo Frog path to perfectionWill Rogers, clever Kiwis and medical magicThe hidden karma of snakes and laddersSpace and time, final frontiers: Poet of the universeEscape to our Moon planetTickling Orion with a triangleThe eternal trianglesOn primes and PlutoThe math of planet MarsLetter from Germany: The eternal grindCalendar kinksStrange moves of a mathematical feastLucky Friday the 13thOn the shoulders of lesser giants: Hermann the hermitThe equals of Robert RecordePythagoras's theorem ain't Pythagoras'sSix of one, Babylonian the otherIt's Chris Mass timeClearing a logjamSquares, triangles and other labor-saving devicesThe doodle, the witch and MariaChristian Goldbach's magic sumSolutions to the puzzles

Polster and Ross are masters of the genre this book represents: a cornucopia of offerings, from across the mathematical spectrum. Their articles are entertaining, captivating, and informative, and will appeal to everyone from interested amateurs to old pros. On top of all that, the prose is clear, concise and a lot of fun—happily with a charmingly Aussie flavo(u)r. Crack the spine and enjoy!"" —Michael Berg, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles""The American Mathematical Society must be congratulated on publishing a singularly amusing synthesis of cultural anthropology coupled with mathematical entertainment."" —Tushar Das, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse""Polster and Ross are as good as the original master, Martin Gardner! They are also as good as that other great popularizer of mathematics, Ian Stewart, who took up Gardner's mantle, and as good as Douglas Hofstedter, who also followed in Gardner's footsteps as popularizers of mathematics within regular columns in Scientific American', and elsewhere. I recommend this new book very highly! Like Poster and Ross's first collection of columns, it is one that you can happily read from cover to cover, or dip into at any random point, and find treasures. You will then often return, savouring, and often laughing, while also learning, and responding to thoughtful challenges!"" —John Gough, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia