Mathematical Recreations and Problems of Past and Present Times

Abstract

THE idea of writing some such account as that before us must have been present to Mr. Ball's mind when he was collecting the material which he has so skilfully worked up into his “History of Mathematics.” We think this because the extent of ground covered by these “Recreations” is commensurate with that of the “History,” and many bits of ore which would not suit the earlier work find a fitting niche in this. Howsoever the case may be, we are sure that non-mathematical, as well as mathematical, readers will derive amusement, and, we venture to think, profit withal, from a perusal of it. The author forewarns possible readers that “the conclusions are of no practical use, and most of the results are not new.” This is plain language, but, lest the warning should be too effectual, he adds, “At the same time I think I may assert that many of the questions—particularly those in the latter half of the book—are interesting, not a few are associated with the names of distinguished mathematicians, while hitherto several of the memoirs quoted have not been easily accessible to English readers.” We have thus stated the author's pros and cons, and remark that he has gone very exhaustively over the ground, and has left us little opportunity of adding to or correcting what he has thus reproduced from his note-books.