A mathemagician is a mathematician who is also a magician.
The name "mathemagician" was probably first applied to Martin Gardner, but has since been used to describe many mathematician/magicians, including Arthur T. Benjamin,[1] Persi Diaconis,[2] Chrystal Chan, and Raymond Smullyan. Diaconis has suggested that the reason so many mathematicians are magicians is that "inventing a magic trick and inventing a theorem are very similar activities."[3]
A great number of self-working mentalism tricks are actually mathemagic. Max Maven often utilizes this type of magic in his performance.
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Notable mathemagicians
- Karl Fulves
- Arthur T. Benjamin, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College[4]
- Martin Gardner
- Kyle Czarnecki
- Jason Sun, successor to George Pólya
In popular culture
- Several fictional characters have also been called mathemagicians, such as Martin Gardner's "Victor Eigen."[5]
- A character in The Phantom Tollbooth is known only as "The Mathemagician."
- A mathemagician, voiced by Hank Azaria was prominently featured at Martin Prince's birthday party in the Simpsons episode Grade School Confidential.
Bibliography
- Fulves, Karl. Self-working Number Magic. Dover Publications. 1984.
- Gardner, Martin. Mathematics, Magic and Mystery Dover; ISBN 0-486-20335-2. 1956.
- Gardner, Martin. Science Puzzlers The Viking Press, Scholastic Book Services 1957.
- Gardner, Martin. Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus, Prometheus Books; ISBN 0-87975-573-3. 1981.
- Gardner, Martin. Aha! Gotcha: Paradoxes to Puzzle and Delight (Tools for Transformation); W.H. Freeman & Company; ISBN 0-7167-1361-6. 1982.
- Gardner, Martin. Magic Numbers of Dr Matrix, Prometheus Books; ISBN 0-87975-282-3. 1985
- Gardner, Martin. Entertaining Mathematical Puzzles, Dover; ISBN 0-486-25211-6. 1986.
- Gardner, Martin. The Unexpected Hanging and Other Mathematical Diversions, University Of Chicago Press; ISBN 0-226-28256-2. 1991.
- Gardner, Martin. My Best Mathematical and Logic Puzzles, Dover; ISBN 0-486-28152-3. 1994.
- Gardner, Martin. Classic Brainteasers, Sterling Publishing; ISBN 0-8069-1261-8. 1995.
- Gardner, Martin. Martin Gardner's Table Magic, Dover; ISBN 0-486-40403-X. 1998.
- Gardner, Martin. Mathematical Recreations: A Collection in Honor of Martin Gardner, Dover; ISBN 0486400891. 1998.
- Gardner, Martin. Mathematical Puzzle Tales; Mathematical Association of America ISBN 0-88385-533-X. 2001.
References
- ^ Albers, Donald J. "Art Benjamin - Mathemagician." Math Horizons, November 1998, 14-18.
- ^ Albers, and Donald J. "Professor of
MagicMathematics." Math Horizons, February 1995, 11-15. - ^ Diaconis, Persi. Quoted in: Albers, Donald J. "Professor of
MagicMathematics." Math Horizons, February 1995, 11-15. - ^ http://www.math.hmc.edu/~benjamin/
- ^ Gardner, Martin. New Mathematical Diversions from "Scientific American." Chicago: University of Chicago Pr., 1984.
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