Knots and Numbers: 50 Brain Teazers

Puzzles, quizzes, mind games, brain benders, teasers, riddles and the like have been around for thousands of years. Fascinating examples of mind benders can be found in Chinese, Greek, Roman and other histories, many that still test our skills today. There are many books of recreational mathematics and logic puzzles, ranging from the suitably learned to downright examples of fun. The contents of this modest volume I have collected over the past 40 years, some of which I have contributed to a few magazines. Some are attributed, some adapted and some quite original. I don’t claim that any are truly mind challenging, but some are more tricky than others. Mathematicians might have a slight advantage with a few, but really all can be solved with a modest understanding of numbers, some applied thinking and some common sense. They are meant as entertainment; if you learn anything along the way, then that is a bonus.