# Recreational mathematics > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Recreational_mathematics > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Recreational_mathematics.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_mathematics > Source revision: 1351259834 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Form of entertainment in mathematics Part of a series on Mathematics History Index Areas Number theory Geometry Algebra Calculus and Analysis Discrete mathematics Logic Probability and Statistics Relationship with sciences Physics Chemistry Geosciences Computation Biology Linguistics Economics Philosophy Education Mathematics Portal v t e This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (December 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) **Recreational mathematics** is [mathematics](/source/Mathematics) carried out for [recreation](/source/Recreation) (entertainment) rather than as a strictly research-and-application-based professional activity or as a part of a student's formal education. Although it is not necessarily limited to being an endeavor for [amateurs](/source/List_of_amateur_mathematicians), many topics in this field require no knowledge of advanced mathematics. Recreational mathematics involves [mathematical puzzles](/source/Mathematical_puzzle) and [games](/source/Mathematical_games), often appealing to children and untrained adults and inspiring their further study of the subject.[1] The [Mathematical Association of America](/source/Mathematical_Association_of_America) (MAA) includes recreational mathematics as one of its seventeen [Special Interest Groups](/source/Mathematical_Association_of_America#Special_Interest_Groups), commenting:[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*] Recreational mathematics is not easily defined because it is more than mathematics done as a diversion or playing games that involve mathematics. Recreational mathematics is inspired by deep ideas that are hidden in puzzles, games, and other forms of play. The aim of the SIGMAA on Recreational Mathematics (SIGMAA-Rec) is to bring together enthusiasts and researchers in the myriad of topics that fall under recreational math. We will share results and ideas from our work, show that real, deep mathematics is there awaiting those who look, and welcome those who wish to become involved in this branch of mathematics.[2] Mathematical competitions (such as those sponsored by [mathematical associations](/source/Mathematical_Association)) are also categorized under recreational mathematics. ## Topics Some of the more well-known topics in recreational mathematics are [Rubik's Cubes](/source/Rubik's_Cube), [magic squares](/source/Magic_squares), [fractals](/source/Fractals), [logic puzzles](/source/Logic_puzzle) and [mathematical chess problems](/source/Mathematical_chess_problem), but this area of mathematics includes the [aesthetics](/source/Aesthetics) and [culture](/source/Culture) of mathematics, peculiar or amusing stories and [coincidences about mathematics](/source/Mathematical_coincidence), and the personal lives of [mathematicians](/source/Mathematician). ### Mathematical games [Mathematical games](/source/Mathematical_game) are [multiplayer games](/source/Multiplayer_game) whose rules, strategies, and outcomes can be studied and explained using [mathematics](/source/Mathematics). The players of the game may not need to use explicit mathematics in order to play mathematical games. For example, [Mancala](/source/Mancala) is studied in the mathematical field of [combinatorial game theory](/source/Combinatorial_game_theory), but no mathematics is necessary in order to play it. ### Mathematical puzzles [Mathematical puzzles](/source/Mathematical_puzzle) require mathematics in order to solve them. They have specific rules, as do [multiplayer games](/source/Multiplayer_game), but mathematical puzzles do not usually involve competition between two or more players. Instead, in order to solve such a [puzzle](/source/Puzzle), the solver must find a solution that satisfies the given conditions. [Logic puzzles](/source/Logic_puzzle) and [classical ciphers](/source/Classical_cipher) are common examples of mathematical puzzles. [Cellular automata](/source/Cellular_automata) and [fractals](/source/Fractals) are also considered mathematical puzzles, even though the solver only interacts with them by providing a set of initial conditions. As they often include or require game-like features or thinking, mathematical puzzles are sometimes also called mathematical games. ### Mathemagics [Magic tricks](/source/Magic_tricks) based on mathematical principles can produce self-working but surprising effects. For instance, a [mathemagician](/source/Mathemagician) might use the [combinatorial](/source/Combinatorics) properties of a deck of [playing cards](/source/Standard_52-card_deck) to guess a volunteer's selected card, or [Hamming codes](/source/Hamming_codes) to identify whether a volunteer is lying.[3] ### Other activities Other curiosities and pastimes of non-trivial mathematical interest include: - patterns in [juggling](/source/Juggling) - the sometimes profound algorithmic and geometrical characteristics of [origami](/source/Origami) - patterns and process in creating [string figures](/source/String_figure) such as [Cat's cradles](/source/Cat's_cradle), etc. - [fractal-generating software](/source/Fractal-generating_software) - [Mathematics and art](/source/Mathematics_and_art) ## Online blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels There are many blogs and audio or video series devoted to recreational mathematics. Among the notable are the following: - [Cut-the-Knot](/source/Cut-the-Knot) by [Alexander Bogomolny](/source/Alexander_Bogomolny) - [Futility Closet](/source/Futility_Closet) by Greg Ross - [Mathologer](https://youtube.com/@Mathologer) by [Burkard Polster](/source/Burkard_Polster) - [Numberphile](/source/Numberphile) by [Brady Haran](/source/Brady_Haran) - [Stand-Up Maths](https://www.youtube.com/user/standupmaths) by [Matt Parker](/source/Matt_Parker) - [MindYourDecisions](https://youtube.com/@MindYourDecisions) by Presh Talwalkar - The videos of [Vi Hart](/source/Vi_Hart) ## Publications - The journal *[Eureka](/source/Eureka_(University_of_Cambridge_magazine))* published by the mathematical society of the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge) is one of the oldest publications in recreational mathematics. It has been published 60 times since 1939 and authors have included many famous mathematicians and scientists such as [Martin Gardner](/source/Martin_Gardner), [John Conway](/source/John_Horton_Conway), [Roger Penrose](/source/Roger_Penrose), [Ian Stewart](/source/Ian_Stewart_(mathematician)), [Timothy Gowers](/source/Timothy_Gowers), [Stephen Hawking](/source/Stephen_Hawking) and [Paul Dirac](/source/Paul_Dirac). - The *[Journal of Recreational Mathematics](/source/Journal_of_Recreational_Mathematics)* was the largest publication on this topic from its founding in 1968 until 2014 when it ceased publication. - *[Mathematical Games](/source/List_of_Martin_Gardner_Mathematical_Games_columns)* (1956 to 1981) was the title of a long-running *[Scientific American](/source/Scientific_American)* column on recreational mathematics by [Martin Gardner](/source/Martin_Gardner). He inspired several generations of mathematicians and scientists through his interest in mathematical recreations. "Mathematical Games" was succeeded by 25 "[Metamagical Themas](/source/Metamagical_Themas)" columns (1981-1983), a similarly distinguished, but shorter-running, column by [Douglas Hofstadter](/source/Douglas_Hofstadter), then by 78 "Mathematical Recreations" and "Computer Recreations" columns (1984 to 1991) by [A. K. Dewdney](/source/A._K._Dewdney), then by 96 "Mathematical Recreations" columns (1991 to 2001) by [Ian Stewart](/source/Ian_Stewart_(mathematician)), and most recently "Puzzling Adventures" by [Dennis Shasha](/source/Dennis_Shasha). - The [Recreational Mathematics Magazine](http://rmm.ludus-opuscula.org/), published by the [Ludus Association](http://ludicum.org/), is electronic and semiannual, and focuses on results that provide amusing, witty but nonetheless original and scientifically profound mathematical nuggets. The issues are published in the exact moments of the equinox. ## People Prominent practitioners and advocates of recreational mathematics have included professional and [amateur mathematicians](/source/List_of_amateur_mathematicians): Full name Last name Born Died Nationality Description Alcuin of York Alcuin 735 804 English Clergyman, scholar, and teacher; author of Propositiones ad Acuendos Juvenes. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) Carroll 1832 1898 English Mathematician, puzzlist and Anglican deacon best known as the author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Sam Loyd Loyd 1841 1911 American Chess problem composer and author, described as "America's greatest puzzlist" by Martin Gardner.[4] W.W. Rouse Ball Ball 1850 1925 British Author of Mathematical Recreations and Essays, continuously published since 1892. Henry Dudeney Dudeney 1857 1930 English Civil servant described as England's "greatest puzzlist".[5] Yakov Perelman Perelman 1882 1942 Russian Author of many popular science and mathematics books, including Mathematics Can Be Fun. J.A.H. Hunter Hunter 1902 1986 British Author of Fun with Figures. D. R. Kaprekar Kaprekar 1905 1986 Indian Discovered several results in number theory, described several classes of natural numbers including the Kaprekar, harshad and self numbers, and discovered the Kaprekar's constant Martin Gardner Gardner 1914 2010 American Popular mathematics and science writer; author of Mathematical Games, a long-running Scientific American column. Raymond Smullyan Smullyan 1919 2017 American Logician; author of many logic puzzle books including "To Mock a Mockingbird". Joseph Madachy Madachy 1927 2014 American Long-time editor of Journal of Recreational Mathematics, author of Mathematics on Vacation. Solomon W. Golomb Golomb 1932 2016 American Mathematician and engineer, best known as the inventor of polyominoes. Noboyuki Yoshigahara Yoshigahara 1936 2004 Japanese Japan's most celebrated inventor, collector, solver, and communicator of puzzles. Vladimir Arnold Arnold 1937 2010 Russian Prolific mathematician and educator; author of Problems for children from 5 to 15. John Horton Conway Conway 1937 2020 English Mathematician and inventor of Conway's Game of Life, co-author of Winning Ways, an analysis of many mathematical games. Lee Sallows Sallows 1944 English Invented geomagic squares, golygons, and self-enumerating sentences. Ian Stewart Stewart 1945 British Mathematician and author; his work includes the Mathematical Recreations column for Scientific American and numerous books on recreational mathematics. Peter Winkler Winkler 1946 American Mathematician and author of several books on recreational mathematics. ## See also - [List of recreational number theory topics](/source/List_of_recreational_number_theory_topics) - [Mathematics of paper folding](/source/Mathematics_of_paper_folding) ([origami](/source/Origami)) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Kulkarni, D. [Enjoying Math: Learning Problem Solving With KenKen Puzzles](http://www.matholympiad.info/Documents/TeachingWithKenKen.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130801080339/http://www.matholympiad.info/Documents/TeachingWithKenKen.pdf) 2013-08-01 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), a textbook for teaching with KenKen Puzzles. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Special Interest Groups of the MAA](https://www.maa.org/community/sigmaas) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130718123507/https://www.maa.org/community/sigmaas) 2013-07-18 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Mathematical Association of America 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Teixeira, Ricardo (2020). *Mathemagics: A Magical Journey through Advanced Mathematics*. USA: World Scientific. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789811214509](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789811214509). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Loyd, Sam (1959). *Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd* (selected and edited by [Martin Gardner](/source/Martin_Gardner)), Dover Publications Inc., p. xi, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-486-20498-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-486-20498-7) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Newing, Angela (1994), "Henry Ernest Dudeney: Britain's Greatest Puzzlist", in [Guy, Richard K.](/source/Richard_K._Guy); Woodrow, Robert E. (eds.), [*The Lighter Side of Mathematics: Proceedings of the Eugène Strens Memorial Conference on Recreational Mathematics and Its History*](https://books.google.com/books?id=-4W_5ZISxpsC&pg=PA294), Cambridge University Press, pp. 294–301, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780883855164](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780883855164). ## Further reading - [W. W. Rouse Ball](/source/W._W._Rouse_Ball) and [H.S.M. Coxeter](/source/H.S.M._Coxeter) (1987). *Mathematical Recreations and Essays*, Thirteenth Edition, Dover. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-486-25357-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-486-25357-0). - [Henry E. Dudeney](/source/Henry_Dudeney) (1967). *536 Puzzles and Curious Problems. Charles Scribner's sons*. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-684-71755-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-684-71755-7). - [Sam Loyd](/source/Sam_Loyd) (1959. 2 Vols.). in Martin Gardner: The Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd. Dover. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [5720955](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5720955). - [Raymond M. Smullyan](/source/Raymond_M._Smullyan) (1991). *The Lady or the Tiger? And Other Logic Puzzles*. Oxford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-286136-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-286136-0). ## External links Look up ***[recreational mathematics](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Special:Search/recreational_mathematics)*** in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. - [Recreational Mathematics](https://mathworld.wolfram.com/topics/RecreationalMathematics.html) from [MathWorld](/source/MathWorld) at [Wolfram Research](/source/Wolfram_Research) v t e Major mathematics areas History Timeline Future Lists Glossary Foundations Category theory Information theory Mathematical logic Philosophy of mathematics Set theory Type theory Algebra Abstract Boolean Clifford Commutative Elementary Field theory Group theory Homological Lie Linear Multilinear Ring theory Universal Analysis Calculus Real analysis Complex analysis Hypercomplex analysis Differential equations Functional analysis Harmonic analysis Measure theory Discrete Combinatorics Discrete geometry Graph theory Matroid theory Order theory Geometry Algebraic Affine Analytic Arithmetic Complex Computational Convex Differential Discrete Euclidean Finite Information Projective Number theory Algebraic Analytic Arithmetic Diophantine geometry Topology General Algebraic Differential Geometric Homotopy theory Knot theory Applied Engineering mathematics Mathematical biology Mathematical chemistry Mathematical economics Mathematical finance Mathematical geology Mathematical linguistics Mathematical physics Mathematical psychology Mathematical sociology Mathematical statistics Probability Statistics Systems science Control theory Game theory Operations research Computational Computer science Theory of computation Computational complexity theory Numerical analysis Optimization Computer algebra Related topics Mathematicians lists Informal mathematics Films about mathematicians Recreational mathematics Mathematics and art Mathematics education Number Large Mathematics portal Category Commons WikiProject Authority control databases International GND National United States Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Recreational mathematics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_mathematics) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_mathematics?action=history)). 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