Satan, Cantor and Infinity: Mind-Boggling Puzzles (Dover Recreational Math)

A clear-headed command of logic can make the mind powerful enough to outmaneuver the devil himself, according to these intriguing stories. More than 200 puzzles, problems, and paradoxes await within these pages, woven together by a wizard's captivating narrative. The Sorcerer — so skilled in the art of logic that his reasoning seems like magic — takes a puzzle-based perspective on the principles underlying the works of mathematician Georg Cantor. His fascinating riddles involve probability, certainty, time, and infinity, and they unfold amid a landscape populated by honorable knights, lying knaves, quick-witted robots, and other fanciful characters.Amusing and enlightening, the Sorcerer's guided tour of infinity is geared toward the most dedicated puzzle-solvers. Although many of the solutions require only common sense, equations appear in several of the stories, and a familiarity with algebra is essential. The author of several imaginative books on recreational mathematics, Raymond Smullyan is a well-known mathematician and logician. He provides solutions within text, rather than at the end or in footnotes, offering readers a natural progression on a puzzle-filled path through the wonders of logic.