If you encounter download issue. Please refer to this DOWNLOAD GUIDE
  • Math And Magic (12 Video + 1 Pdf) by The Great Courses

Math And Magic (12 Video + 1 Pdf) by The Great Courses

  • Product Code: C#12622
  • Reward Points: 45
  • Availability: In Stock
  • $41.99
  • $9.99

  • Price in reward points: 999

Try this: Arrange an ordinary deck of cards so that the colors alternate red-black, red-black, all the way through. Now have someone cut the deck as many times as they like. Deal off a stack of cards, one card at a time, that roughly divides the pack in two. Invite someone to shuffle the two stacks together. Then deal cards from the top in pairs. Your audience will be astonished that every pair has a red card and a black card. How can that be?

Nothing can amaze quite like an expertly-executed magic trick. Ideally, only the magician knows how truly simple the deception is. After watching Math and Magic, you will know that this trick and its many variants rely on a remarkable property of patterned sequences called Gilbreath’s principle—named after an amateur magician who was also a mathematician. Magic is full of such wonders, as you discover in these 12 illuminating half-hour lessons presented by one of The Great Course’s most popular lecturers: award-winning Professor of Mathematics Arthur T. Benjamin of Harvey Mudd College, who is himself a professional magician.

 

Renowned in TED Talks, The Colbert Report, and other popular media as a “mathemagician,” Professor Benjamin teaches you the techniques and secrets behind dozens of great math-based tricks. Even if you are a numerical novice, you will look like a prodigy after mastering these math-inspired showpieces, which require no skills beyond basic algebra—and a bit of showmanship.

 

Learn the Fundamentals of the Magician’s Art

 

While magicians supposedly never reveal their tricks, when you learn the mathematical foundations behind how they work, you’re opening your eyes to one of the most fascinating and rewarding features of their craft and it gives you a crucial advantage in a number of areas, including:

 

•     Tricks are easier to remember if you understand how they work.

 

•     Knowing the “why” of a trick is the gateway to new effects as well as novel variations of the original.

 

•     Mathematical magic stimulates problem-solving skills, such as rapid mental calculation.

 

•     Magic can lead young people to fall in love with math—as happened with many professional mathematicians when they were young.

 

In Math and Magic, Professor Benjamin introduces you to magic, using tools like playing cards, numbers, and geometric figures. For each trick, he first runs through a demonstration. Then, he pulls back the curtain to show how the trick is done, explaining in detail the mathematical ideas underpinning the illusion. In this way, you learn such fundamentals of the magician’s art as:

 

•     Parity principle: Promoted by magician Bob Hummer, this idea has inspired a series of tricks in which the cards are treated in pairs according to a systematic procedure. Although the cards seem to be fairly mixed, an inherent order is preserved that, when revealed, astounds spectators.

 

•     Faro shuffle: Devised as a way to beat the popular 19th-century card game faro, this bit of trickery is also known as the perfect shuffle, in which cards from two equal halves of a deck are interlaced perfectly. A sequence of such shuffles can bring the top card to any desired position, creating a truly magical effect.

 

•     Lightning calculations: Dr. Benjamin is famous for his ability to solve problems in his head, often faster than someone punching numbers into a calculator. Naturally, he uses shortcuts, many of which are quite simple. For example, in this course you learn an easy method for determining cube roots that will make you look like a mathematical genius.

 

•     Magic squares: Popular for centuries, magic squares are grids of numbers where each row, column, and diagonal adds up to the same number. It might seem that only a few solutions are possible for a given grid, but that’s usually not true. You can impress your audience by building a magic square based on any number, or even based on someone’s birthday.

 

Astonish and Delight Your Friends

 

Throughout the lessons, Professor Benjamin teaches you how to astonish and delight your friends, family, and even yourself. In a bit of kitchen magic, he shows how to cut a bagel into two interlocking halves—a two-twist version of a Möbius strip. Among its advantages, this intriguing shape has a greater surface area than an ordinary sliced bagel and therefore holds more cream cheese!

 

Magic has held humans spellbound for a very long time. A few centuries ago, even simple card tricks like those in this course could have prompted accusations of witchcraft—with the result being persecution or even death. Fortunately, with Math and Magic, you don’t have that worry. Your only problem will be tearing yourself away from these “bewitching” lessons.

 

 

Reviews (0)

There are no reviews for this product.

Write a review

Please login or register to review

Related Products

Train Tracking by Atlas Brookings

Train Tracking by Atlas Brookings

Atlas Brookings - Train Tracking PDF Atlas Brookings Available from: Out of Print Price:..

$3.99 $7.98

Orbit On The Trick That Cannot Be Explained by Chris Brown

Orbit On The Trick That Cannot Be Explained by Chris Brown

Chris Brown - Orbit On The Trick That Cannot Be Explained   Welcome to Season 3: Episod..

$1.99 $4.28

Forge by Perseus Arkomanis

Forge by Perseus Arkomanis

A revolutionary coin gaff As a magician, you NEED to be able to do other things than card tric..

$2.99 $5.50

Pocketses by Mark Elsdon

Pocketses by Mark Elsdon

From a borrowed, shuffled deck you remove two single cards which you place into your pocket. You qui..

$2.99 $5.99

The Secret History Of Magic - The True Story Of The Deceptive Art by Peter Lamont And Jim Steinmeyer

The Secret History Of Magic - The True Story Of The Deceptive Art by Peter Lamont And Jim Steinmeyer

Pull back the curtain on the real history of magic – and discover why magic really&nb..

$3.99 $6.98

Marty App (Apk Version) by Flap Ninja

Marty App (Apk Version) by Flap Ninja

Have you ever dreamed to travel in time? Now you CAN. For the first time, a powerfull app allows ..

$1.99 $4.99

Second Palm by Jin

Second Palm by Jin

One-handed​ top palm has been workers’ go-to choice for decades. However, we always needed to use mi..

$1.99 $4.99

Tags: Math And Magic (12 Video + 1 Pdf) by The Great Courses, Card Tricks

Recommend

Numetrics by Arthur Setterington

Numetrics by Arthur Setterington

Arthur Setterington - Numetrics PDF 'Numerology' has always held a special fascination for the..

$2.99 $5.98

A.T.M. Divination by Art Vanderlay

A.T.M. Divination by Art Vanderlay

Art Vanderlay - A.T.M. Divination PDF The ultimate street magic effect. Gain access to anyone'..

$2.99 $7.98

Take It E-Z by Ali Cardabra

Take It E-Z by Ali Cardabra

Ali Cardabra - Take it E-ZPDF18 Pages..

$1.99 $4.99

Magic Cartoons by Albrecht

Magic Cartoons by Albrecht

Albrecht - Magic CartoonsPDFA collection of comic strips about magicians. Some are hilarious. A funn..

$3.99 $6.98

Matrix by Al Schneider

Matrix by Al Schneider

Al Schneider - Matrix PDF MATRIX begins when four coins are placed on the table in a square ar..

$4.99 $7.98

Creative Magic by Adam Wilber

Creative Magic by Adam Wilber

Adam Wilber - Creative Magic PDF Creative Magic has the formula YOU need to kick start yo..

$2.99 $16.98

Esperience by Abhinav Bothra

Esperience by Abhinav Bothra

Abhinav Bothra - ESPerience PDF A three phased easy to do routine that gives your spectator an..

$1.99 $4.98

A Lesson In Magic by A F Bowen

A Lesson In Magic by A F Bowen

A LESSON IN MAGIC PDF MY COIN COMBINATION BY A. F. BOWEN BULLETIN SERIAL NO. 1 PUB..

$1.99 $4.99

Spellbound by Yuxu

Spellbound by Yuxu

Spellbound by Yuxu At Vanishing Inc. Magic we are careful and measured with our praise. But when yo..

$2.99 $5.99

Will Houstoun Penguin Live Online Lecture

Will Houstoun Penguin Live Online Lecture

"Will Houstoun's lecture provided an immensely satisfying evening. Like no other lecture I've eve..

$2.99 $5.99

Astronomical by Peter Turner

Astronomical by Peter Turner

Astronomical by Peter Turner Incredibly powerful anytime, anywhere mind-reading. No props, and not..

$2.99 $5.99

Doble Prediccion by Luis Otero

Doble Prediccion by Luis Otero

Doble Predicci??n by Luis Otero De la mente de Luis, nos viene otro efectazo con uno de esos princi..

$1.99 $4.28

Five by Xeon Steel

Five by Xeon Steel

Xeon Steel - Fivedemo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wC-gjh8QkYIntroducing and from the mind of Xe..

$2.99 $5.68

Conferencia by Woody Aragon

Conferencia by Woody Aragon

Woody Aragon - Conferencia Spanish. 90 minute lecture Believe that seriously read the Boo..

$1.99 $4.99

Voucher by Will Tsai And Sansminds

Voucher by Will Tsai And Sansminds

Will Tsai and SansMinds - VoucherImagine a sure fire mini mentalism act that fits into your pocket. ..

$1.99 $4.99

3Sixty by Wayne Dobson

3Sixty by Wayne Dobson

Wayne Dobson - 3Sixtydemo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXCbMUMlsBw3Sixty by Wayne Dobson is a rev..

$1.99 $4.99

To Top