MAGE MERLIN'S UNSOLVED MATHEMATICAL MYSTERIES

16 of today's greatest unsolved mathematical puzzles in a story-driven illustrated volume that invites readers to peek over the edge of the unknown. Understandable by anyone with elementary maths skills, these intriguing mysteries are presented as puzzles that have time-travelled from Camelot, preserved in the notebook of Merlin, the wise magician in King Arthur's court. Our guide is Mage Maryam (named in honour of the brilliant young mathematician, the late Maryam Mirzakhani), a distant descendant of Merlin. Each mystery is presented across two beautifully illustrated pages providing mathematical and historical context afterwards. They involve tinker toys (a present for Camelot's princesses from the sorceress Morgana), cake-slicing at a festival, Lancelot's labyrinth, a vault for the Holy Grail, the Lady of the Lake, 33 tree tombs, a knight's square formation, Stone Henge tapestries and more. Each mystery is a sword awaiting removal from its stone, capturing the beauty and power of mathematics. 101 pages, beautifully decorated in colour.