Maths Tricks to Blow Your Mind: A Journey Through Viral Maths

About this book

A gifty maths book about viral maths problems that have gone wild on social media in recent years. From the infamous 'Hannah's sweets' exam question to percentages 'life-hacks', viral maths problems seem to capture the public's imagination without fail. This is often because they blow people's minds with their logic, or there are multiple answers, or no answer or at all, or they are just generally wacky. The same people who will openly celebrate that they 'never got maths' will fight tooth and nail with their Auntie on Facebook over whether the answer to 60 + 60 x 0 + 1 is 61 or 1 (it's 61, by the way.). Why do friends and relatives who would glaze over in a maths lesson pile into a discussion with strangers on social media over why the grey elephant comes from Denmark? Maths teacher and award-winning science communicator Kyle D Evans wants to explore exactly what it is about viral social media puzzles that is so appealing. Maths Tricks to Blow Your Mind presents 50 or so viral maths problems from recent years with background information, explanations and solutions to similar problems, all in a humorous, accessible and inclusive manner. Want to dazzle and delight your friends and family? This book shows you how!