Mathematical games include many topics which are a part of recreational mathematics, but can also cover topics such as the mathematics of games, and playing games with mathematics.
Mathematical Games was the title of a long-running column on the subject by Martin Gardner in Scientific American. He inspired several new generations of mathematicians and scientists through his interest in mathematical recreations.
Mathematics of games This can be a more serious subject than the name belies. It can include the statistical analysis of card games such as poker or bridge to understand and improve play techniques.
- Game theory has wide social and military applications for tactical and strategic planning.
- Conway's game theory and surreal numbers
Playing games with mathematics
The foremost popularizers of recreational mathematics in recent years have been
- Martin Gardner
- Douglas Hofstadter
- John Conway
Other figures in recreational mathematics history have included:
- Henry Dudeney
- Piet Hein
- Sam Loyd
Specific mathematical games
- Dots and boxes
- Eight queens puzzle
- Conway's Game of Life
- Game of Hex
- Hexaflexagons
- Knight's Tour
- Nim
- Soma cube
- Game of sprouts
- Squaring the square
- Tangram
- The Tower of Hanoi
- Rubik's Cube
External links and references
- Journal of Recreational Mathematics
- http://www.mathpuzzle.com/ by Ed Pegg, Jr.
- The Unreasonable Utility of Recreational Mathematics by David Singmaster
- Profile of John Conway
- Bibliography: http://bruichladdich.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/mathrecsFolder/books.html
- Mathematical Games from Madras College, St Andrews
