Gardner's "Mathematical Games" column challenged Scientific American readers for years. Here he gathers his favorites, organizing them thematically according to mathematical topics such as plane geometry, infinity, and algebra. An addendum and bibliography provide more information about his challenges.

No amateur or math authority can be without this ultimate compendium from America's best-loved mathematical expert. From simple algebra and probability to hypercubes and the mysterious realm of the fourth dimension, Martin Gardner has lent his distinctive brand of wisdom to the wonders of mathematics throughout his illustrious career. Author of Scientific American's "Mathematical Games" column for twenty-five years, the best of his legendary pieces are now collected here in the largest, most comprehensive math book that he has ever produced. Fifty chapters of mind-twisting puzzles fill these pages, from geometry and arithmetic to such unusual topics as knotted doughnuts, hexaflexagons, and the meaning of M. C. Escher's artwork, each chapter drawing on a lifetime of erudition and know-how. Gardner's trademark irreverent style makes even the most ominous-sounding mathematical concepts inviting and engaging. The Colossal Book of Mathematics is wholly accessible to the amateur and expert alike, and is essential reading for anyone who loves puzzles and games. 320 line drawings.

No amateur or math authority can be without this ultimate compendium from America's best-loved mathematical expert. From simple algebra and probability to hypercubes and the mysterious realm of the fourth dimension, Martin Gardner has lent his distinctive brand of wisdom to the wonders of mathematics throughout his illustrious career. Author of Scientific American's "Mathematical Games" column for twenty-five years, the best of his legendary pieces are now collected here in the largest, most comprehensive math book that he has ever produced. Fifty chapters of mind-twisting puzzles fill these pages, from geometry and arithmetic to such unusual topics as knotted doughnuts, hexaflexagons, and the meaning of M. C. Escher's artwork, each chapter drawing on a lifetime of erudition and know-how. Gardner's trademark irreverent style makes even the most ominous-sounding mathematical concepts inviting and engaging. The Colossal Book of Mathematics is wholly accessible to the amateur and expert alike, and is essential reading for anyone who loves puzzles and games. 320 line drawings.