Diaconis P., Graham R., Gardner M. Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012. — xiv + 244 p. — ISBN: 978-0-691-15164-9.Magical Mathematics reveals the secrets of fun-to-perform card tricks?and the profound mathematical ideas behind them?that 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.
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 trick?and much more.ForewordMathematics in the Air
Royal Hummer
Back to MagicIn cycles
The Magic of de Bruijn Sequences
Going FurtherIs This Stuff Actually Good For Anything?
Robotic Vision
Making Codes
To the Core of Our Being
This de Bruijn Stuff Is Cool but Can It Get You a Job?Universal cycles
Order Matters
A Mind-reading Effect
Universal Cycles AgainFrom the Gilbreath Principle to the Mandelbrot Set
The Gilbreath Principle
The Mandelbrot SetNeat Shuffles
A Mind-reading Computer
A Look Inside Perfect Shuffles
A Look Inside Monge and Milk Shuffles
A Look Inside Down-and-Under Shuffles
All the Shuffl es Are RelatedThe Oldest Mathematical Entertainment?
The Miracle Divination
How Many Magic Tricks Are There?Magic in the Book of Changes
Introduction to the Book of Changes
Using the I Ching for Divination
Probability and the Book of Changes
Some Magic (Tricks)
Probability and the I ChingWhat Goes Up Must Come Down
Writing It Down
Getting Started in JugglingStars of Mathematical Magic (and some of the best tricks in the book)
Alex Elmsley
Bob Neale
Henry Christ
Stewart James
Charles Thornton Jordan
Bob Hummer
Martin GardnerGoing further
On secretsNotes
Index