Research in mathematics is much more than solving puzzles, most people will agree that solving puzzles is not just fun, it helps focus the mind. This book makes the connection explicit by isolating important mathematical methods, then using them to solve puzzles and prove a theorem.

Peter Winkler is the William Morrill Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Dartmouth College, and for 2019 - 2020, the Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Public Dissemination of Mathematics at the National Museum of Mathematics. He is the author of 160 research papers, a dozen patents, two previous puzzle books, a book on cryptographic techniques in the game of bridge, and a portfolio of compositions for ragtime piano.

The Puzzles. The Hints. 1. Out for the Count. 2. Achieving Parity. 3. Intermediate Math. 4. Graphography. 5. Algebra Too. 6. Safety in Numbers. 7. The Law of Small Numbers. 8. Weighs and Means. 9. The Power of Negative Thinking. 10. In All Probability. 11. Working for the System. 12. The Pigeonhole Principle. 13. Information, Please. 14. Great Expectation. 15. Brilliant Induction. 16. Journey Into Space. 17. Nimbers and the Hamming Code. 18. Unlimited Potentials. 19. Hammer and Tongs. 20. Let's Get Physical. 21. Back from the Future. 22. Seeing is Believing. 23. Infinite Choice. 24. Startling Transformation. Notes & Sources