The mathematics behind some of the world's most amazing card tricks
Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of fun-to-perform card tricksโand the profound mathematical ideas behind themโthat 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 storiesโand reveal the best tricksโof 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 trickโand much more.