Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks by Persi Diaconis & Ron Graham

Synopsis: Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of fun-to-perform card tricks―and the profound mathematical ideas behind them―that will astound even the most accomplished magician. Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham provide easy, step-by-step instructions for each trick, explaining how to set up the effect and offering tips on what to say and do while performing it. Each card trick introduces a new mathematical idea, and varying the tricks in turn takes readers to the very threshold of today’s mathematical knowledge.

Diaconis and Graham tell the stories―and reveal the best tricks―of the eccentric and brilliant inventors of mathematical magic. The book exposes old gambling secrets through the mathematics of shuffling cards, explains the classic street-gambling scam of three-card Monte, traces the history of mathematical magic back to the oldest mathematical trick―and much more.

2013 WINNER OF THE EULER BOOK PRIZE

Published: October 2011 | ISBN: 978-0691169774

Mini-bio: Persi Warren Diaconis is an American mathematician of Greek descent and former professional magician. He is the Mary V. Sunseri Professor of Statistics and Mathematics at Stanford University. Wikipedia
Persi’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/persidiaconis

Mini-bio: Ronald Lewis “Ron” Graham is a mathematician credited by the American Mathematical Society as being “one of the principal architects of the rapid development worldwide of discrete mathematics in recent years”. Wikipedia

The Math Less Travelled Book Review
Popular Science Book Review
Mathematical Association of America Book Review
The Times Higher Education Book Review

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Paperback Edition: Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks
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