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Mathematical Puzzle Tales from Mount Olympus uses fascinating tales from Greek Mythology as the background for introducing mathematics puzzles to the general public. A background in high school mathematics will be ample preparation for using this book, and it should appeal to anyone who enjoys puzzles and recreational mathematics.
Features:
- Combines the arts and science, and emphasizes the fact that mathematics straddles both domains.
- Great resource for students preparing for mathematics competitions, and the trainers of such students.
List of contents
1. The Boxing Matches. 2. The First and Second Labors of Heracles. 3. The Third and Fourth Labors of Heracles. 4. The Fifth and Sixth Labors of Heracles. 5. The Seventh and Eighth Labors of Heracles. 6. The Ninth and Tenth Labors of Heracles. 7. The Loss of the Pigs. 8. The Planting of Barley. 9. The Fifteen Fruit Pies. 10. The Palace Admittance Questionnaire. 11. The Midas Touch. 12. The Collapsing Beams. 13. The Seating Plan. 14. The Forty-Nine Danaids. 15. The Quarrelsome Residents. 16. The Bears in the Caves. 17. The Phrygian Music Festival. 18. The Banquet Tickets. 19. The Eleventh and Twelfth Labors of Heracles. 20. The Summer Festival. 21. The Great Amoeba Escape. 22. The Rolling Stones. 23. The Conscientious Birds. 24. The Archipelago Tour. 25. The Fireballs and Lightningbolts. 26. The Leaded Spears. 27. The Triangular Palace. 28. The Matching of Boxes and Keys. 29. The Number-and-Coin Tricks. 30. The Unguarded Gate. 31. The Rearrangement of the Suitresses. 32. The Wily Prisoners. 33. The Selection of the Argonauts. 34. The Beef Feast. 35. The Hunters' Competitions. 36. The First Rebellion of the Giants. 37. The Second Rebellion of the Giants. 38. The Third Rebellion of the Giants. 39. The Ungrateful Refugees. 40. The Pandora Box. Appendix Source of the Problems.
About the author
Andy Liu obtained his doctorate in mathematics as well as a professional diploma in elementary education in 1976, qualifying him officially to teach from kindergarten to graduate school. He was an academic at his alma mater for over thirty years, where he is currently a Professor Emeritus. During that period, he ran a mathematics circle for students in upper elementary or junior high schools. The members had published over fifty papers in scientific journals.
Andy had served as the deputy leader of the USA team and the leader of the Canadian team in the International Mathematical Olympiad. He had chaired its Problem Committee once and was a member three other times. He had authored or co-authored eighteen books in mathematics, and had been credited as an editor or a co-editor for several others.
Summary
This book uses fascinating tales from Greek Mythology as the background for introducing mathematics puzzles to the general public. A background in high school mathematics will be ample preparation for using this book, and it should appeal to anyone who enjoys puzzles and recreational mathematics.
Report
"Andy Liu is famous for his leadership in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Here he cleverly and engagingly recasts 40 recreational problems from the Tournament of the Towns into tales involving Greek myths and legends. The resulting stories motivate the problems far
better than the original posings. The problems involve logic, combinatorics, and geometry, but no calculus. Solutions are offered, together with the texts of the original problems."
- Mathematics Magazine
