The Joy of SET
eBook - PDF

The Joy of SET

The Many Mathematical Dimensions of a Seemingly Simple Card Game

  1. 320 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Joy of SET

The Many Mathematical Dimensions of a Seemingly Simple Card Game

About this book

A mathematical exploration of the popular card game SET

Have you ever played the addictive card game SET? Have you ever wondered about the connections between games and mathematics? If the answer to either question is "yes," then The Joy of SET is the book for you! The Joy of SET takes readers on a fascinating journey into this seemingly simple card game and reveals its surprisingly deep and diverse mathematical dimensions. Absolutely no mathematical background is necessary to enjoy this book—all you need is a sense of curiosity and adventure!

Originally invented in 1974 by Marsha Falco and officially released in 1991, SET has gained a widespread, loyal following. SET's eighty-one cards consist of one, two, or three symbols of different shapes (diamond, oval, squiggle), shadings (solid, striped, open), and colors (green, purple, red). In order to win, players must identify "sets" of three cards for which each characteristic is the same—or different—on all the cards. SET's strategic and unique design opens connections to a plethora of mathematical disciplines, including geometry, modular arithmetic, combinatorics, probability, linear algebra, and computer simulations. The Joy of SET looks at these areas as well as avenues for further mathematical exploration. As the authors show, the relationship between SET and mathematics runs in both directions—playing this game has generated new mathematics, and the math has led to new questions about the game itself.

The first book devoted to the mathematics of one of today's most popular card games, The Joy of SET will entertain and enlighten the game enthusiast in all of us.

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Yes, you can access The Joy of SET by Liz McMahon,Gary Gordon,Hannah Gordon,Rebecca Gordon in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Mathematics & Applied Mathematics. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. CONTENTS
  5. Preface
  6. 1 SET and You
  7. 2 Counting Fun!
  8. 3 Probability!
  9. 4 SET and Modular Arithmetic
  10. 5 SET and Geometry
  11. Interlude: How to Improve at SET
  12. Conclusion
  13. Solutions to Exercises
  14. Bibliography
  15. Index