# ---Under Constant Construction---

On the Mathematics of Ambigrams from Kim Scott

## Course Information

 Course: The Mathematics of Magic Tricks and Puzzles Course No: HON 1207 Textbook: Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks by Persi Diaconis & Ron Graham, Princeton University Press, 2011 URL Instructor: Professor Stanley Eigen Office and phone: 527 LA, x5647 Email: s.eigen (at) neu (dot) edu Office hours: TBA and by appointment Syllabus: Click to Download

## Description and Service Learning

This is a Service Learning course - and Service Learning is a very important part of the course. There will be teams of students working with service learning partners - outside of Northeastern. You will be "performing" mathematical tricks and then explaining the mathematics behind them to the service learning students. In addition, there may be tutoring and homework help.

Besides the service learning we will also be taking in-depth look at the mathematics of puzzles and behind some classical, self-working magic tricks. Mathematical topics may include but are not limited to combinatorics, graph theory, group theory, number theory, topology, dynamics, binary arithmetic and coding theory. This course is for non-science, non-math honors students.

You should bring your own deck of cards to class.

• Class Participation and Communication Skills 30%
• Service Learning Experience and Critical Reflection Report 30%
• Final Presentation (poster) at the Service Learning Expo EXPO (Team presentations) 30%
• Service Learning Partners' Evaluation 10%
The weighting may vary for students who excel greatly at one aspect over the others

• Extra Credit Project 1
• Make a video performing a mathematical magic trick.
• This should be suitable for a teacher not familiar with the math to use in a classroom.
• A second video should contain the mathematical explanation.
• Extra Credit Project 2 Find a good mathematical trick. Two good places to look are Martin Gardner's book and the Card Column from the American Mathematical Society (references are below).
• Explain clearly how it works ($\leq$ 5 pages).
• Make some development of your own.
• Perform the trick in class ($\leq 5$ minutes).
• Relate the mathematics to other applications.
Note, that consideration will also be given to the level of the mathematics. That is, a group theory trick earns more points than a high school level algebra level trick.
• Extra Credit Project Come up with your own idea.
Joint projects are also possible. There are many mind-reading tricks that require two people. The math is often a coding technique.

## Interactive Videos - David Copperfield et al

Try to figure out yourself how the following tricks work.
Can you create your own "trick" based on these or similar principles?
Search around the web and find other interactive tricks you like.

## Teaching Related

### Articles on Using Magic to Teach

These articles are written by Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers and College Professors who have used magic in the classroom successfully. The articles also include discussions of teaching and interactions with the students.
However, there is plenty of room to improve and re-organize the material.

### Videos/Articles for Teaching through magic - Math, Physics and Computer Science

The following features mathematicians and magicians Matt Parker, Peter McOwan and Jason Davison. Video was produced by the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London and wideangles.tv, with support from the UK HE STEM project.

## Sources of Magic Tricks

There are many places to find magic tricks: books, magazines, the web, friends. In your write-up, indicate the source of the the trick. Needless to say, there is extra credit for inventing something new.

### Reference Books

• Martin Gardner Books
• Mathematics, Magic and Mystery
• Colm Mulcahy Books
• Mathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects
• Karl Fulves Books
• Self-Working Card Tricks
• More Self-Working Card Tricks
• Self-Working Number Magic
• Self-Working Mental Magic
• John Scarne ?
• Scarne on Card Tricks
• ??
• Magic Tricks, Card Shuffling and Dynamic Computer Memories by S. Brent Morris

# Stuff to be reorganized

Quote from Magician Jolyon Jenkins
Maths and magic go back a long way - the oldest written card trick was by Luca Pacioli, a friend of Leonardo, and appears in a treatise which also contains the first account of double entry book keeping. Many tricks in the working magician's repertoire rely on maths.

### Hummer - Cut and Flip Two

1. Ten Card Hummer Trick Chris Morgan Version
2. Five Card Reveal Hummer Trick

### Gilbreath Principle

1. See Chapter 5 of Text.