Mathematician Magic

Mathematics is not just a subject but a part of our lives. Whether you are a child or a grown-up, a student or a professional, a musician or a magician, maths plays an important role in your daily routine. You can even find mathematical patterns in spiderwebs or honeycombs.

Learning maths can be made enjoyable if it is taught through activities, puzzles and games right from an early age. Many a time, we find that some students solve complex maths problems in minutes while some take a long time to solve even the basic ones. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not their level of knowledge that leads to this difference but the way they apply their knowledge.

This app is written with the aim of enhancing the power of reasoning, critical thinking and the problem-solving ability of the reader. It is intended for students, teachers and parents alike, as the learning of mathematics is not restricted to any age. For students who find themselves afraid of the subject, we have attempted to make it fun to learn and give them the confidence to approach each problem with a fresh perspective. We have also written this app for teachers, who can use many of the activities mentioned to make their classes livelier and show their students that maths need not be a dreaded subject. Parents can also pick up this app to make it easier to explain complex concepts to their children and help them develop a strong base in the subject. It contains mind-bending questions with unusual solutions, logic-related maths problems, interesting maths facts and proofs, and calculation tips that highlight the almost magical simplicity of the subject.These are effective methods that help in day-to-day application of mathematics, while reducing one’s dependency on gadgets as well as providing good practice for the types of questions that are asked in examinations and interviews.

The other section of this app contains some amazing magic tricks and enthralling activities—just flip the app to find them!

You might find some parts of the app challenging even after reading and rereading the solutions. If so, keep going. Even without necessarily understanding every detail, you will be surprised how much of the overall picture you are able to absorb by simply moving ahead.

So forge ahead, work your brain and unravel the secrets and mysteries of mathematics.

CONTENTS
Introduction

PART A: PROBLEMS WITH SURPRISING SOLUTIONS







1. Which Pizza Do You Prefer?

2. Exponential Mystery

3. Smart Business

4. The Invisible Thief

5. Three in a Race

6. Clever Salesman

7. Solving Questions without Algebra

8. Comparing Movies

9. Matchstick Puzzles

10. Observation-Enhancing Puzzles

PART B: CALCULATIONS WITHOUT CALCULATORS







11. How Long Does It Take to Double Your Money?

12. Determining the Unit Digit at a Glance

13. Shortcut to Find the Sum

14. Magic by

15. Wonder of 9s

16. Learning the Times Tables

17. Amazing Squares

18. Simplifying Multiplication

19. Magical Division

20. Quick Cube Roots

21. Quick Calculations of Compound Interest

22. The Prime Check

23. Comparing Surds

PART C: INTERESTING MATHS FACTS





24. Races on Tracks

25. Maths behind Credit/Debit Cards Numbering

26. Why Is 1 One, Why Is 2 Two?

27. Is Zero Even or Odd?

28. Why Is Division by 0 Not Defined?

PART D: MATHEMAGICIAN TECHNIQUES FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS AND INTERVIEWS





29. An Interview Question

30. Handshakes

31. Investigating Squares

32. Investigating Triangles

33. Crack the Code

34. Out-of-the-Box Thinking

35. Presentation of Data

36. Are You Maths Smart?

37. Calendar at Your Fingertips

38. Cool Maths