Mathematical Excursions: Side Trips along Paths Not Generally Traveled in Elementary Courses in Mathematics is a book on popular mathematics. It was written by Helen Abbot Merrill, published in 1933 by the Norwood Press, and reprinted (posthumously) by Dover Publications in 1957.
Topics
The book is devoted to mathematical puzzles and pastimes, gathered from Merrill's experience as a teacher. It has 15 chapters, most on arithmetic and number theory but with one on geometry.
Its topics include squared triangular numbers and other sums of powers, Russian peasant multiplication, binary numbers, repeating decimals, magic squares, the irrationality of π, mechanical linkages, linear Diophantine equations, the 15 puzzle, perfect numbers, and some unsolved problems in number theory.
Audience and reception
The book is written for a general audience, and is intended to spark the interest of high school students in mathematics. In general, only high school levels of algebra and geometry are needed to appreciate the book and solve its problems. It could be used as individual reading, or in mathematics clubs, and also for mathematics teachers looking for examples and demonstrations for their classes.
Of the original edition, reviewer David Eugene Smith wrote "the book ought to be in the hands of all teachers and on the shelves of all high schools and colleges". By the time of the 1957 reprint, reviewer Samuel L. Greitzer complained about its obsolete notation, as well as its uneven level of exposition and non-uniform inclusion of solutions to problems, and reviewer Roland Sprague noted that its treatment of perfect numbers was out of date. Nevertheless, Greitzer suggested that it would be appropriate as "enrichment" for high-school students.
References
- ^ The Mathematics Teacher, 26 (5): 315, May 1933, JSTOR 27951594
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Wells, Mary E. (December 1933), The American Mathematical Monthly, 40 (10): 602–603, doi:10.2307/2301690, JSTOR 2301690
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Smith, David Eugene (December 1933), The Mathematics Teacher, 26 (8): 499–501, JSTOR 27951644
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ P. W. L. C. (January 1934), The Marginal Fifty per Cent, Junior-Senior High School Clearing House, 8 (5): 319, JSTOR 30174218
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Inglis, Alex (February 1935), The Mathematical Gazette, 19 (232): 62, doi:10.2307/3606651, JSTOR 3606651
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Greitzer, Samuel L. (October 1958), The Mathematics Teacher, 51 (6): 481, JSTOR 27955732
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link) - ^ Sprague, R., zbMATH, Zbl 0080.00105
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
External links
- Mathematical Excursions in the Hathitrust Digital Library: Norwood Press edition, hdl:2027/mdp.39015064567822; Dover edition, hdl:2027/mdp.39015065648035