Mathematical Apocrypha: Stories and Anecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical

236 Pages·2002·25.862 MB·English

by  Steven G. Krantz

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Mathematical Apocrypha
Stories and Anecdotes of
Mathematicians and the Mathematical
©2002by
TheMathematicalAssociationofAmerica, Inc.
LibraryofCongressCatalog CardNumber2002107968
ISBN0-88385-539-9
Printedinthe UnitedStatesofAmerica
CurrentPrinting(lastdigit):
10 98765 4 32 1
Mathematical Apocrypha
Stories and Anecdotes of
Mathematicians and the Mathematical
Steven G. Krantz
Washington University in St. Louis
Publishedanddistributedby
The Mathematical Association ofAmerica

In memory of
Halsey Royden (1928-1993),
an inspiring storyteller.
SPECTRUM SERIES
Publishedby
THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Committee on Publications
Gerald L. Alexanderson, Chair
Spectrum EditorialBoard
Gerald L. Alexanderson, Editor
Robert Beezer Jeffrey L. Nunemacher
William Dunham Jean Pedersen
Michael Filaseta J. D. Phillips
WilliamJ. Firey JenniferJ. Quinn
Erica Flapan Marvin Schaefer
Dan Kalman Harvey J. Schmidt, Jr.
EleanorLang Kendrick Sanford L. Segal
Ellen Maycock Franklin Sheehan
Russell L. Merris Francis Edward Su
John E. Wetzel
The Spectrum Series of the Mathematical Association of America was so named to
reflect its purpose: topublishabroadrangeofbooks includingbiographies, accessible
expositions ofold or new mathematical ideas, reprints and revisions ofexcellent out-
of-print books, popularworks, and othermonographs ofhigh interest that will appeal
to a broad range of readers, including students and teachers of mathematics, mathe-
matical amateurs, and researchers.
777Mathematical Conversation Starters, by John dePillis
All the Math That's Fitto Print, by Keith Devlin
Circles:A Mathematical View, by Dan Pedoe
ComplexNumbersandGeometry, by Liang-shin Hahn
Cryptology, by Albrecht Beutelspacher
FiveHundredMathematicalChallenges, EdwardJ. Barbeau, Murray S. Klamkin, and
William O. J. Moser
From Zero to Infinity, by Constance Reid
The Golden Section, by Hans Walser. Translated from the original German by Peter
Hilton, with the assistance ofJean Pedersen.
/ Wantto BeaMathematician, by Paul R. Halmos
Journey into Geometries, by Marta Sved
JULIA: a life in mathematics, by Constance Reid
The Lighter Side of Mathematics: Proceedings of the Eugene Strens Memorial
Conference onRecreationalMathematics & ItsHistory, edited by RichardK. Guy
and RobertE. Woodrow
Lure oftheIntegers, by Joe Roberts
Magic Tricks, CardShuffling, andDynamic ComputerMemories: TheMathematicsof
thePerfectShuffle, by S. Brent Morris
TheMath ChatBook, by FrankMorgan
Mathematical Apocrypha: Stories and Anecdotes of Mathematicians and the
Mathematical, by Steven G. Krantz
Mathematical Carnival, by Martin Gardner
Mathematical Circus, by Martin Gardner
Mathematical Cranks, by Underwood Dudley
MathematicalFallacies, Flaws, andFlimflam, by EdwardJ. Barbeau
MathematicalMagicShow, by Martin Gardner
MathematicalReminiscences, by Howard Eves
Mathematics: Queen andServantofScience, by E.T. Bell
Memorabilia Mathematica, by RobertEdouard Moritz
NewMathematicalDiversions, by Martin Gardner
Non-Euclidean Geometry, by H. S. M. Coxeter
NumericalMethods That Work, by Forman Acton
Numerologyor What Pythagoras Wrought, by Underwood Dudley
Out ofthe Mouths ofMathematicians, by Rosemary Schmalz
Penrose Tiles to TrapdoorCiphers ... andthe Return ofDr. Matrix, by Martin
Gardner
Polyominoes, by George Martin
TowerPlay, by EdwardJ. Barbeau
The Random WalksofGeorgePolya, by Gerald L. Alexanderson
TheSearchforE.T. Bell, also knownasJohn Taine, by Constance Reid
ShapingSpace, edited by Marjorie Senechal and George Fleck
StudentResearch Projects in Calculus, by Marcus Cohen, Arthur Knoebel,
Edward D. Gaughan, Douglas S. Kurtz, and DavidPengelley
Symmetry, byHansWalser. TranslatedfromtheoriginalGermanby PeterHilton, with
theassistance ofJean Pedersen.
The Trisectors, by UnderwoodDudley
Twenty YearsBefore theBlackboard, by Michael Stueben with Diane Sandford
The WordsofMathematics, by Steven Schwartzman
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