Murderous Maths
Suitable for ages 8 upwards
This is the book that started the whole Murderous Maths series.
It contains a wide mixture of mathematical curiosities including symmetry,
powers, time, and ..... it shows you some neat calculator tricks
and a card trick that works all thanks to algebra! It even introduces you to some
real murderous mathematicians.
Don't forget to click the EXTRA
links for more details that we didn't have room for in the books!
CONTENTS:
Murderous Maths - are you kidding?
We meet the gangsters (Blade Boccelli, the Weasel, Chainsaw Charlie
and co) fighting over a simple restaurant bill- and that shows why even
the simplest maths can be murderous!
The Basics
A quick look at how the signs work, what
powers are, and How to Scare a Scientist.
Professor Fiendish's Fatal Fungus
You are given some tiles and have to completely cover a lethal patch of
fungus or else....
The Best Invention Ever!
Why Roman sums were murderous and why the modern "ten" system relies on
the Invention of Nothing!
Rubbish Things About Calculators
Find out why Murderous Maths fans think calculators are for
wimps, learn 5 things to do with a dead calculator and watch out
for Urgum the Axeman!
The Long and Short of It
Find out why you might end up with a traffic cone on your nose.
Time?
How time got started, why a sundial is the only clock you can
really rely on and the case of Sheerluck Homes and the Duchess's diamonds.
The Quest for the Right Angle
...and how not to shoot yourself with a cannon.
The Hard Boys of Maths
Druid Priests, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Thales... you'd never believe what some
of these people were really like. They really put the "murderous" into maths!
A Really Good Magic Trick
All you need is a normal pack of cards, and with no great skill or preparation you'll
astonish everyone! The amazing thing is that it all works thanks to ALGEBRA.
How To Handle Big Numbers
Make complicated numbers look simple by rounding off, and learn the easy way of writing
massive numbers using the SI system. And what IS a googolplex?
Major Charles Ingram answered the question "What is a 1 followed by
100 zeros called?" on the U.K.s "Who wants to be a millionaire?" tv show to win £1,000,000
in Sept 2001. But since then he's been found guilty of cheating because somebody was
coughing signals to him from in the audience!
If only he had read this chapter in "Murderous Maths" he would have known the answer is
a "googol" without help and he'd have got to keep his £1,000,000!
Symmetry and the Mindmashing Maze!
Reflective and rotational symmetry explained - which is just as well because you'll
need it when Professor Fiendish locks you in his diabolical trap!
Also in the book...
There's the ongoing story of Thag, Colonel Cancel and the Valiant Vector Warriors who
have to tackle everything from measuring the height of a castle tower to solving
prime number code!
LINKS:
The Murderous Maths Bookshop
The Murderous Maths Books
Murderous Maths Main Index Page