Previous Puzzles of the Month + Solutions

"There is still a difference between something
and nothing, but it is purely geometrical and
there is nothing behind the geometry"
- Martin Gardner

Our preferred American Math Authors (I):
Martin Gardner

  Martin Gardner was born October 21, 1914, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of a geologist and oil producer. He is a recreational mathematician, magician, skeptic, popular author and contributor of the long-running but now discontinued "Mathematical Games" column in Scientific American. He originated the column in 1956, and his columns appeared until his retirement from the magazine in 1986. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago in 1936.
  Martin Gardner more or less singlehandedly sustained and nurtured interest in recreational mathematics in the U.S. for a large part of the 20th century. He is best known for his decades-long efforts in popular mathematics and science journalism, particularly through his "Mathematical Games" column in Scientific American. His interests range from science and philosophy to magic and the philosophical movement of skepticism, of which he is considered a notable figure in the field. After living in the western mountains of North Carolina for many years, he returned to Norman, Oklahoma, in 2004, his 90th year.
  Occasional conferences of people sharing his interests, known as the "Gatherings for Gardner", are held in his honor. The first was held in 1993.
  He is the author or editor of more than 100 books and booklets, including books on mathematics, science, pseudoscience, philosophy, literary criticism, and fiction (including “Visitors from Oz”, based on L. Frank Baum's “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, and stories about an imaginary numerologist named Dr. Matrix). Gardner has inspired and enlightened three generations of readers with the delights of mathematical recreations, the amazing phenomena of numbers, magic and puzzles, the play of ideas.
  In addition to his expository writing about mathematics, Gardner has been an avid controversialist on contemporary issues, arguing for his points of view in a wide range of fields, from general semantics to fuzzy logic to watching TV (he once wrote a negative review of the book “Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television”). Though particularly well known for his critique of pseudoscientific beliefs, Gardner has also taken sides on political, economic, historical and philosophical controversies.

Related Books
	Mathematics, Magic & Mystery Martin Gardner The famed puzzle expert explains math behind a multitude of mystifying tricks: card tricks, stage "mind reading," coin and match tricks, counting out games, geometric dissections, etc.
	Colossal Book of Mathematics Martin Gardner Although some people might think that 'recreational mathematics' is a contradiction of terms, Gardner's insight and excellent writing style really do make mathematics enjoyable.