Dissections: Plane and Fancy

Frederickson, Greg N.

ISBN 10: 0521571979 / ISBN 13: 9780521571975

Published by Cambridge University Press, New York, 1997

Hardcover. An ex-library copy in original maroon cloth lettered in gold. The usual ex-libris markings. The binding is sound, the text is clean/unmarked, and there is little cover wear. No dust jacket. Seller Inventory # 062841

Synopsis:

Can you cut an octagon into 5 pieces and rearrange them into a square? How about turning a star into a pentagon? These are just two of the infinite challenges of geometric dissections, the mathematical art of cutting figures into pieces that can be rearranged to form other figures, using as few pieces as possible. This book shows you many ingenious ways to solve these problems and the beautiful constructions you can create. Through the ages, geometric dissections have fascinated puzzle fans and great mathematicians alike. Here you will find dissections known to Plato alongside exciting new discoveries. The author explains solution methods carefully, assuming only a basic knowledge of high school geometry, then poses puzzles for you to solve. He also introduces the people - famous, not-so-famous, and obscure - who have worked on these problems, travelling from the palace school of tenth-century Baghdad to the mathematical puzzle columns in turn-of-the-century newspapers, from the 1900 Paris Congress of Mathematicians to the night sky of Canberra. This beautifully illustrated book will provide hours of enjoyment for any mathematical puzzle enthusiast.

From the Back Cover: Cutting a geometrical figure into the smallest number of pieces that will rearrange to make a different figure is one of the most elegant and surprising branches of recreational mathematics. No one knows more about this, or is more skilled at breaking old records, than Greg Frederickson. His book will be a classic.
-- Martin Gardner

Bibliographic Details

Title: Dissections: Plane and Fancy
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, New York
Publication Date: 1997
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket
Edition: First Edition.
Book Type: Book