The Mathematics of Games (Dover Books on Mathematics) - Softcover

Beasley, John D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0486449769 ISBN 13: 9780486449760

Publisher: Dover Publications, 2006

Synopsis

"Mind-exercising and thought-provoking."—New Scientist
If playing games is natural for humans, analyzing games is equally natural for mathematicians. Even the simplest of games involves the fundamentals of mathematics, such as figuring out the best move or the odds of a certain chance event. This entertaining and wide-ranging guide demonstrates how simple mathematical analysis can throw unexpected light on games of every type—games of chance, games of skill, games of chance and skill, and automatic games.
Just how random is a card shuffle or a throw of the dice? Is bluffing a valid poker strategy? How can you tell if a puzzle is unsolvable? How large a role does luck play in games like golf and soccer? This book examines each of these issues and many others, along with the general principles behind such classic puzzles as peg solitaire and Rubik's cube. Lucid, instructive, and full of surprises, it will fascinate mathematicians and gamesters alike.

About this title

About the Author:

About the Author:
John D. Beasley is a computer consultant and the author of The Ins and Outs of Peg Solitaire.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0486449769
• ISBN 13: 9780486449760
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176