Slicing Pizzas, Racing Turtles, and Further Adventures in Applied Mathematics

“Banks turns trivial questions into mind-expanding demonstrations of the magical powers of mathematics. . . . generously garnished with his unpredictable wit.” —Booklist

Have you ever daydreamed about digging a hole to the other side of the world? Robert Banks not only entertains such ideas but supplies the mathematical know-how to turn fantasies into problem-solving adventures. Now the author of Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominoes, and Further Adventures in Applied Mathematics presents another collection of puzzles to sharpen your thinking and mathematical skills.

The problems range from the wondrous to the eminently practical: What’s the total number of people who’ve lived on Earth? How do you get the most pizza slices with the least number of cuts? To go from point A to point B in a downpour, should you walk slowly, jog moderately, or run as fast as possible to get least wet? What is the length of the seam on a baseball? If all the ice in the world melted, what would happen to Florida, the Mississippi River, and Niagara Falls? Why do snowflakes have six sides?

Covering a broad range of fields from geography and environmental studies to map- and flag-making, Banks uses mostly basic algebra and geometry to solve problems. And if famous scientists have also pondered these questions, he shares the historical details with the reader.

“[Banks displays] a playful imagination and love of the fantastic that one would not ordinarily associate with a mathematical engineer. . . . entertaining.” —The Christian Science Monitor

© 2012 Princeton University Press (eBook): 9781400843039

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eBook: 2 maja 2012