This series aims to capture new and exciting work in Recreational Mathematics, loosely defined as ‘mathematics arising from recreational and esthetic pursuits’, though we are happy to bend that definition to accommodate almost anything that explores mathematics with a spirit of creativity, and curiosity. In the past century, Recreational Mathematics has proven itself as a way to engage a wider audience with the subject, and also as a catalyst for deep research in the field.
The remit of the series is extremely broad, featuring books taking a mathematical approach to puzzles, games, origami, visual arts, literary arts, performing arts, history, magic and more besides.
We welcome all manner of text-types, though we do especially value those books that can be used in an educational setting and which are accessible to readers with minimal mathematical background.
If you have a manuscript, proposal, or even just the beginnings of an idea, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
By Jerry Butters, Jim Henle
May 04, 2023
The Baseball Mysteries: Challenging Puzzles for Logical Detectives is a book of baseball puzzles, logical baseball puzzles. To jump in, all you need is logic and a casual fan’s knowledge of the game. The puzzles are solved by reasoning from the rules of the game and a few facts. The logic in the ...
By Andy Liu
March 06, 2023
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 ...
By Andy Liu, Peter Taylor
December 07, 2022
Mathematical Recreations from the Tournament of the Towns contains the complete list of problems and solutions to the International Mathematics Tournament of the Towns from Fall 2007 to Spring 2021.The primary audience for this book is the army of recreational mathematicians united under the banner...
By Mark Bollman
April 29, 2022
There are thousands of books relating to poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat, including strategy guides, statistical analysis, psychological studies, and much more. However, there are no books on Pell, Rouleno, Street Dice, and many other games that have had a short life in casinos! While this...
By Tung Ken Lam
September 22, 2021
"Star Origami is a festival of folding fun that is sure to inspire. Tung Ken's stellar designs are rich with invention, and as always, his works are beautifully illustrated and written by him. Those eager for the math behind the designs will not be disappointed."— Michael LaFosse (Origamido® Studio...
By Mark Bollman
August 20, 2021
Mathematics is the basis of casino games, which are the bedrock of a $100 billion/year industry. Mathematics of the Big Four Casino Table Games: Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, & Roulette takes an in-depth look at the four biggest table games in casinos: blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette. It...
By Jörg Bewersdorff
April 23, 2021
Praise for the First Edition "Luck, Logic, and White Lies teaches readers of all backgrounds about the insight mathematical knowledge can bring and is highly recommended reading among avid game players, both to better understand the game itself and to improve one’s skills."– Midwest Book Review "...
By Richard Garfinkle, David Garfinkle
February 05, 2021
X Marks the Spot is written from the point of view of the users of mathematics. Since the beginning, mathematical concepts and techniques (such as arithmetic and geometry) were created as tools with a particular purpose like counting sheep and measuring land areas. Understanding those purposes ...
By Peter Winkler
December 29, 2020
Research in mathematics is much more than solving puzzles, but most people will agree that solving puzzles is not just fun: it helps focus the mind and increases one's armory of techniques for doing mathematics. Mathematical Puzzles makes this connection explicit by isolating important mathematical...
By Cameron Browne
May 30, 2000
Hex Strategy is the first book to offer a comprehensive look at the game of Hex, from its history and mathematical underpinnings to discussions of advanced playing techniques. This is first and foremost a book on strategy aimed at providing sufficient knowledge to play the game at any level desired...
By Robert Fathauer
October 21, 2020
Tessellations: Mathematics, Art and Recreation aims to present a comprehensive introduction to tessellations (tiling) at a level accessible to non-specialists. Additionally, it covers techniques, tips, and templates to facilitate the creation of mathematical art based on tessellations. Inclusion of...
By Benjamin DiLeonardo-Parker
September 08, 2020
This new edition of Six Simple Twists: The Pleat Pattern Approach to Origami Tessellation Design introduces an innovative pleat pattern technique for origami designs that is easily accessible to anyone who enjoys the geometry of paper. The book begins with six basic forms meant to ease the reader ...
