Everything in mathematics has many meanings - every diagram and every figure, every sum and every equation can be "seen" in different ways, just as every sentence in English or in algebra can be variously read and interpreted. This book explores mathematical topics by pointing out remarkable similarities and taking a fresh look at familiar items. Loaded with thought-provoking facts and surprises, it explores the relationships between mathematics and humor, shows how mathematicians use metaphors to name the nameless and to point to hidden connections, and presents a series of challenging puzzles that offer thought-provoking fun. You don't have to be a mathematician to appreciate this playful approach to numbers, patterns, graphs, and pictures. Author David Wells focuses on insight and imagination rather than technique, emphasizing the mystery, intrigue, and other pleasurable aspects of mathematics. Hints for the captivating problems and puzzles appear at the end of the book, in addition to complete solutions. Originally published by Cambridge University Press, 1988.
About the Author David Wells is a retired Associate Professor of Mathematics at Penn State New Kensington.
CONTENTS Introduction: Mathematics, riddles and humour 1.Exploding the image 2.The hidden image 3.Crystals 4.Circles and ellipses 5.Skeleton and structure 6.Taking the wider view 7.Invariants 8.Special cases 9.Summing up 10.Metaphors 11.One problem, many solutions 12.Pictures into numbers 13.A point of balance 14.Multiple meanings 15.Matching problems 16.The game of algebra 17.Pattern and illusion 18.Clarity, proof and certainty Hints for solutions to problems Solutions to problems