Power-Up: Unlocking the Hidden Mathematics in Video Games - Hardcover

Lane, Matthew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691161518 ISBN 13: 9780691161518

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2017

Synopsis

A fun and lively look at the mathematical ideas concealed in video games

Did you know that every time you pick up the controller to your PlayStation or Xbox, you are entering a game world steeped in mathematics? Power-Up reveals the hidden mathematics in many of today's most popular video games and explains why mathematical learning doesn't just happen in the classroom or from books―you're doing it without even realizing it when you play games on your cell phone.

In this lively and entertaining book, Matthew Lane discusses how gamers are engaging with the traveling salesman problem when they play Assassin's Creed, why it is mathematically impossible for Mario to jump through the Mushroom Kingdom in Super Mario Bros., and how The Sims teaches us the mathematical costs of maintaining relationships. He looks at mathematical pursuit problems in classic games like Missile Command and Ms. Pac-Man, and how each time you play Tetris, you're grappling with one of the most famous unsolved problems in all of mathematics and computer science. Along the way, Lane discusses why Family Feud and Pictionary make for ho-hum video games, how realism in video games (or the lack of it) influences learning, what video games can teach us about the mathematics of voting, the mathematics of designing video games, and much more.

Power-Up shows how the world of video games is an unexpectedly rich medium for learning about the beautiful mathematical ideas that touch all aspects of our lives―including our virtual ones.

About this title

About the Author

Matthew Lane is a mathematician and cofounder of Rithm, a school for aspiring web developers. He is also the creator of Math Goes Pop!, a blog that explores the interconnections between mathematics and popular culture. He lives in San Francisco.

From the Back Cover

"Are you a video game enthusiast who is getting tired of being asked ‘How can you waste time on such stuff?' This book is your answer! Matthew Lane skillfully weaves a tale of how video games can be important tools for teaching mathematics and physics. As a long-time video gamer, I highly recommend Power-Up."--Paul J. Nahin, author of In Praise of Simple Physics

"What a delightful journey through the math of hidden worlds! This is much more than a book about video games. It's an exploration of interconnectedness and an invitation for the perpetually curious."--Karim Ani, founder of Mathalicious

"After reading Power-Up, parents, teachers, and nongamers who have eschewed letting young people play video games may see that games are not the ‘evil distraction' they have been made out to be."--Robin Angotti, University of Washington

Edition details

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691161518
• ISBN 13: 9780691161518
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264