Around the world in eighty games : from tarot to tic-tac-toe, catan to snakes and ladders, a mathematician unlocks the secrets of the world's greatest games / Marcus du Sautoy.
"Do you know where you should always move first in Tic Tac Toe? Understand the betting cube in backgammon? Want to know the best property in Monopoly? Did you know that the African game Mancala might have led one of its players to make an early approximation of the number pi? Or that the nigh-magical Golden Ratio can help you win at Rock Paper Scissors? Around the World in Eighty Games is a gleeful exploration of games and math, spanning centuries and millennia, oceans and continents, countries and cultures. Renowned mathematician Marcus du Sautoy shows how mathematics and games have always been deeply intertwined: how games provided some of the first opportunities for deep mathematical insight into the universe; how understanding math can help us play games better; and how the knowledge and enjoyment of both math and games are integral to human psychology and cultures. But du Sautoy doesn't just look at the games we play; he asks why we play them. For as long as there has been human culture, there have been games. If you look, you can find 12,000-year-old dice, game boards carved in church pews and chiseled into the stones of temples, monuments, and tombs. And for nearly as long, humans have been exploring and discovering mathematics. Taken together, math and games tell us the story of ourselves"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 1541601289
- ISBN: 9781541601284
- Physical Description: viii, 369 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Basic Books, [2023]
- Copyright: ©2023
Content descriptions
General Note: | "From tarot to tic-tac-toe, catan to chutes and ladders, a mathematician unlocks the secrets of the world's greatest games"--Subtitle on dust jacket. |
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-354) and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Opening moves -- The Middle East -- The Arabian Sea: what is a game and why do we play? -- India -- The South China Sea: the math of games and the games of math -- China -- The East China Sea: cards -- Japan -- The North Pacific Ocean: the psychology of games -- Australasia -- The South Pacific Ocean: games in the arts -- South and Central America -- The United States -- The Atlantic Ocean: computer games -- Africa -- Europe -- Endgame. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Games > Mathematics. Games > Psychological aspects. Mathematical analysis. Problem solving > Mathematical models. |
Available copies
- 4 of 9 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 0 of 1 copy available at Madison County Public Library.
Holds
- 2 current holds with 9 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Madison Main Library | 790.021 DU_S (Text) | 30229101332640 | Adult New Nonfiction | Checked out | 01/25/2024 |