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For 25 years, he wrote Scientific American's Mathematical Games column, educating and entertaining minds and launching the careers of generations of mathematicians
A Tribute to Martin Gardner, 1914-2010
For 25 years, he wrote Scientific American 's Mathematical Games column, educating and entertaining minds as well as launching the careers of generations of mathematicians
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May 25, 2010
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12 Comments
Add CommentMay you rest in peace, Mr. Gardner. I hope you have had the great "Aha!" as you passed into the next life.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlease don't insult his memory by insinuating that he is in his "next life." He contributed during his time and he will be missed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have a degree in math and am a magician and am inspired to read Mr. Gardner's books! I wonder if he knew his contemporary, Richard Feynman. They seem to think alike - OUTSIDE the box. Mr Gardner's writings, musings, and indeed his life have obviously been an inspiration to so many. What a remarkable man.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe New York Times obit quotes Martin Gardner as follows: "I just play all the time," he said in an interview with Skeptical Inquirer in 1998, "and am fortunate enough to get paid for it."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd we readers of yours got just so much fun out of your "play" - not to mention an education, profound insights into science (and the nonscience that you debunked), and even, quite often, great inspiration. Thank you, Martin Gardner, R.I.P..
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What a great life Martin Gardner had. He will be missed greatly. He was an inspiration to many of us, and without a doubt, an inspiration to many more.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a great life Martin Gardner had. Now, it's really up to all of us to continue Martin's work by inspiring future generations, by sharing all sorts of interesting ideas and findings in all different fields of science. Martin will be missed, but we won't let his work be forgotten!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMartin Gardner should also be known as an American thinker and philosopher. He was one of the great expositors of the ideas of great philosophers and thinkers, just as he was a great expositor of the ideas of great mathematicians.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHis books of philosophical and other subjects include:
The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener
Are Universes as Thick as Blackberries?
The Night is Large
I would like to write an impassioned exhortation on why his books should never be forgotten but I don't think it is necessary: As long as the American spirit survives, the works of Martin Gardner will live.
I am still working on your counter-example to the four color theorem. http://www.flickr.com/photos/49058045@N00/3890000596/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener" is available at (where else?) Amazon.com. Kudos to Mr. Yam and posthumously to the great Mr. Gardner.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Christian friction" -- you might mean "Christian fiction", or I might have missed the friction section in the book store all these years.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am so sorry to hear of Mr Gardner's passing. I have read his columns in Scientific American for decades, and while I could not solve all the problems, delighted in reading them, his books as well. His style was so clear. Years ago, when his output had reduced, he still contributed an occasional puzzle to Marilyn Vos Savant's weekly puzzle column in Parade magazine. Ms Vos Savant in return would pay a glowing compliment for his attention to her column. It was always touching to see the interaction.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHe set a very high example in expository writing. I often think of his style.
How many readers used to get Scientific American magazine, skim the cover and then dive into the back to find what Martin Gardner was up to this month? He oftentimes would end his article with a few problems for the reader to solve, assuring that it would be easy given the preceding solved problems and examples. This often illustrated the hyperbolic difficulty curve of solving the last problems with just a few more factors added. The next month the letters to the editor would often necessitate Martin Gardner to divulge the answer and show how to solve it, and he would always give credit to readers who wrote in with both the correct answer and innovative alternative solutions. It was amazing how much he made the readers think and have a good time doing it.
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