Magical Mathematics

The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks

2012
Written by Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham
Work of Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham
258 pages (Hardcover), published by Princeton University Press
Illustrated with photographs
Language: English
60 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Martin Gardner Foreword
ix
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Preface
xi
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Mathematics in the Air Chapter intro that describes the CATO Principle and the mathematics behind it, along with tricks
Related to 1
Charles Hudson Baby Hummer Used to demonstrate the CATO principle, uses four cards
Related toVariations 1
Bob Hummer Hummer's Ten Card Mystery Original use of the CATO Principle, based on the 18 Card Mystery in the original manuscript, magician can name how many face up cards there are after mixing it up
Related toAlso published here
  • "18 Card Mystery" (Bob Hummer, Face-up / Face-down Mysteries, 1942)
 4
Steve Freeman Royal Hummer Cards are mixed face up and face down haphazardly, later all cards are face down except a royal flush
Variations 8
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Back to Magic End of chapter, describes Steve's own variation on Steve Freeman's handling of Royal Hummer
Inspired by 15
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham In Cycles chapter intro
 		17
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham The Magic of De Bruijn Sequences Deck tossed out, deck is freely cut and five cards are selected, magician correctly divines them all, also describes the mathematics behind De Bruijn sequences
Inspired byVariations 18
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Going Further Describes extra variations on the basic De Bruijn sequence trick, with some history behind the use of this principle in magic
Inspired by 25
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Is This Stuff Actually Good For Anything? Chapter on uses of De Bruijn sequences outside of magic
 		30
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Universal Cycles chapter intro
 		47
Ronald A. Wohl (Ravelli) Order Matters Deck tossed out, deck is freely cut and five cards are selected, magician correctly divines them all, also describes the mathematics behind a different type of De Bruijn sequence
 		47
Ronald A. Wohl (Ravelli) A Mind-Reading Effect Deck tossed out, deck is freely cut and three cards are selected, magician correctly divines them all
 		52
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Universal Cycles Again Deck tossed out, deck is freely cut and five cards are selected, magician correctly divines them all
 		55
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham From the Gilbreath Principle to the Mandelbrot Set chapter intro
 		61
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham The Gilbreath Principle Describes the intricate mathematics of the Gilbreath Principle
 		61
Norman Gilbreath Gilbreath's First Principle Basic trick using Gilbreath Principle
 		61
Paul Curry Don't Lie To Me (Computer) Magician and spectator get half the pack each, and either lie or say the truth about each card, computer can spot all the spectator's lies
Variations 65
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham, Ronald A. Wohl (Ravelli), Herb Zarrow Gilbreath's Second Principle Spectator shuffles the cards, deals out five hands, one of the hands is a good hand, but the hand of the imaginary partner gets a straight flush, uses ideas from Herb Zarrow and Ron Wohl
Related to
  • "U-shuffle Poker" (David Ben, Zarrow, A Lifetime of Magic)
Variations 		66
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham The Mandelbrot Set Mathematics of the Mandelbrot Set and its link to Gilbreath
 		72
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Neat Shuffles chapter intro about perfect faro shuffles
 		84
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham A Mind-Reading Computer Packet of twelve cards, go through various dealing and shuffling procedures, create a pair of matching mates
 		85
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham A Look Inside Perfect Shuffles Describes the mathematics of perfect faro shuffles, how to stack the deck using in and out shuffles
 		92
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham A Look Inside Monge and Milk Shuffles Describes the principles of Monge and Milk shuffles
 		96
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham A Look Inside Down-and-Under Shuffles Describes the Down and Under Deal
 		98
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham All the Shuffles Are Related Explains how perfect faro shuffles, reverse faro shuffles, Monge shuffles, milk shuffles and down-under shuffles are related
 		99
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham The Oldest Mathematical Entertainment? chapter intro
 		103
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham The Miracle Divination three coins are pocketed by three spectators, performer divines them, three object divination
Inspired byRelated to 105
Ron Graham Ron's $1.96 trick Miracle Divination, four coins pocketed by four spectators, performer divines them all, four object divination
Related to 108
Ron Graham, Persi Diaconis How Many Magic Tricks Are There? Mathematical estimation of the number of magic tricks in common usage
 		114
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Magic in The Book of Changes chapter intro on the I Ching
 		119
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Introduction to the Book of Changes Introduction on the I Ching (Chinese divination method using patterns called hexagrams)
 		121
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Using the I Ching for Divination How the I Ching is used, with some mathematics
 		122
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Probability and the Book of Changes Mathematics of the I Ching
 		125
A First Chinese Magic Trick I Ching trigrams can predict the Chinese character chosen by spectator, kind of design duplication
Variations 128
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham A Version in English English version of the Chinese I Ching Divination trick

The First Variation: Magician predicts thought of object using letter cards, not that good
The Second Variation: Magician divines thought of object using drawn diagrams
Inspired by 131
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham A Performance Piece Prediction routine involving playing cards and I Ching trigrams, involve some fortune telling and answering questions posed by audience
 		133
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Probability and the I Ching Mathematical aspects of I Ching
 		136
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham What Does Up Must Come Down Chapter on mathematics of juggling
 		137
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Stars of Mathematical Magic
153
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Alex Elmsley About Alex Elmsley's work in mathematical magic
 		156
Alex Elmsley Penelope's Principle
159
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Bob Neale About Bob Neale's work in mathematical magic
 		160
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham, Robert E. Neale Inside-Outside Endless Chain / Pricking the Garter

  • A Fair Throw
  • A Cheating Throw
  • A Superfair Throw
 		164
Dai Vernon A Dai Vernon Trick Chain wrapped around fingers of magician and spectator, chain can escape
 		171
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Henry Christ
173
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham, Henry Christ The Roulette System Betting game, magician predicts the outcome of the bet, simulate roulette with red and black cards
 		177
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Stewart James
181
Joe Fendel Miraskill Scissors-Paper-Stone Miraskill with cards printed for game of Scissors, Paper and Stone
Inspired by 184
Stewart James, Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham The Mysterious Number Seven Sum prediction of numbers filled in grid, uses the AAG Principle
 		187
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Charles Thornton Jordan About Charles Jordan's work in mathematical magic
 		189
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Bob Hummer About Bob Hummer's work in mathematical magic
 		201
Bob Hummer Hummer's Three-Card Monte Spectator thinks of one of three cards and switches a few cards around, magician divines thought of card, can do with any three objects
Variations 204
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Our Contribution Variation on Hummer's Three Card Monte
Inspired by 207
Cy Endfield Rock, Paper, Scissors Hummer's Three Card Monte with Rock paper scissors theme
Inspired by 209
Robert E. Neale Bob Neale's Rock, Paper, Scissors Hummer's Three Card Monte with Rock paper scissors theme variation
Inspired by 210
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Martin Gardner About Martin Gardner's work in mathematical magic
 		211
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham Going Further Other books to check out
 		220
Persi Diaconis, Ron Graham On Secrets
225
Data entered by Harapan Ong, October 2018.